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Makers of 
American History 

A Beginner'' s Book in the History of Our Country 



By 



J. A. C. CHANDLER, Ph.D. 

Professor of English in Richmond College 

and 
O. P. CHITWOOD, B.A. 

Teacher of History in the Richmond Academy 




SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY 

NEW YORK ATLANTA BOSTON DALLAS CHICAGO 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Twe Copies Received 

FEB 15 1904 

*"\ Copyright Entry 
CLASS <*- X\c. No. 
' COPY 3° 






Copyright, 1904, by 
SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY 



Preface 

This little book is an effort to sketch the lives of some of the makers 
of American history in such a way as to present the strong points of their 
characters, and at the same time to narrate the main events in our history. 
It is believed that the book has a place in the schools in that it may be 
used in at least three different ways : as a primary history, as a supplement 
to a more formal school history, and as a supplementary reader. 

(i) As a primary history. It is universally conceded that the proper 
way to teach history to children is by means of biography, and for this 
purpose the book has been written. Children in the fourth, fifth and 
sixth grades of school should be given elementary work in United States 
history, and in our belief this book is adapted to these grades. In order 
that it may serve as a primary history, geography and review questions 
have been added at the end of each chapter. 

(2) As a supplement to a school history. Many of our best text-books, 
in narrating the chief events of United States history, for want of space 
do not give much biography or many incidents in the lives of the prin- 
cipal participants in our history. In connection with such books this 
volume may easily be used, and thus the teacher can bring vividly before 
the pupil's mind the makers, as well as the facts, of our history. 

(3) As a supplemental-}' reader. The majority of the readers used in 
our schools are prepared as introductory books to the study of literature, 
and therefore contain chiefly selections from the best authors. Such 
readers should be supplemented in every grade by some historical matter, 
with a view to keeping before the children the greatness and importance 
of our country among the nations of the world. In the lower grades brief 
historical anecdotes of our great men should be given, but in the more 
advanced grades, beginning probably with the fourth reader, short con- 



6 PREFACE. 

nected biographies can and ought to be read. As such a supplementary 
reader this book may be used. 

In attempting to prepare a book to serve the above-mentioned pur- 
poses, the authors realize that the task is a difficult one, but believing 
that this book contains much which will interest and inspire children, 
they venture to hope that it will aid teachers in making easier and more 
pleasant the imparting of a knowledge of United States history to our boys 
and girls. 




I.— Columbus 

II.—Americus Vespucius 
III.— -John and Sebastian Cabot . 
IV.— Ponce de Leon. Balboa. De Soto 
V. — Walter Raleigh .... 

VI. — John Smith 

VII. William Bradford and John Winthrop 

Yi i I.— Roger Williams and Thomas Hooker 

IX. Henry Hudson and Peter Stuyvesant 

X. — Lord Baltimore . 
XL — William Penn 
XII. — John Locke 
XIII. — James Oglethorpe 
XIV. — Marquette and La Salle 
XV.— James Wolfe 
XVI. — Daniel Boone 
XVII.— James Otis . 
XVIIL— Patrick Henry 
XIX.— George Washin< ;ton 
XX.— Georoe Rogers Clarke 
XX I .—Benjamin Franklin 
XX II.— Thomas Jefferson 



PAGE 

13 

24 

30 

35 
45 
5i 
60 

67 
75 
81 
86 
92 

97 
103 
112 
121 
130 

i35 
144 

158 

165 
176 



8 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER 

XXIII. — Robert Fulton 
XXIV. — Stephen Decatur 
XXV. — Andrew Jackson 
XXVI. — Sam Houston 
XXVII. — Zachary Taylor 
XXVIII.— Henry Clay 
XXIX. — Daniel Webster 
XXX. — John C. Calhoun 
XXXI. — Morse and McCormick 
XXXII. — Jefferson Davis 
XXXIII. — Abraham Lincoln 
XXXIV.— Robert E. Lee . 
XXXV. — Edison and Bell . 
XXXVI.— George Dewey . 



PAGE 

. I8 7 

. 192 

. 20I 

. 208 

. 217 

. 225 

• 233 
. 241 

• 247 

• 255 
. 265 

• 274 
. 288 
. 297 



The Surrender of Cornwallis at 

Columbus and his Son Asking 
for Shelter 

Christopher Columbus . .... 

Queen Isabella 

An Indian Weapon 

Vespucius Talking with Colum- 
bus 

A Relic of the Aborigines . . . 

Americus Vespucius .... 
An Indian Bow and Arrow . . 
John Cabot Discovering Land . 

King Henry VII 

The Cabot Memorial Tower at 

Bristol, England 

The Royal Arms of England . 
De Soto in the Swamps of Florida 

Ponce de Leon 

• Balboa's First Sight of the Pa- 
cific 

De Soto Discovers the Missis- 
sippi River 

A Spanish Sword and Helmet . 

Sir Walter Raleigh 

Sir Walter Raleigh Casting his 

Cloak before the Queen . . . 

Queen Elizabeth 



Yorktown . . Frontispiece 

PAGE 
AGE 

The Stone Marking the Site of 

13 Old Fort Raleigh 47 

15 On the Morning of Sir Walter 

17 Raleigh's Execution .... 49 

20 Indian Pipes 5° 

Captain John Smith 5 1 

24 Pocahontas Saving Captain 

26 Smith 5 1 

27 James I. 5 2 

29 The Landing of Settlers at 

30 Jamestown 54 

31 Pocahontas 55 

All that now Remains of the 

33 Settlement at Jamestown . . 57 

34 Making a Clearing at Plymouth 60 

35 The Landing of the Pilgrims. . 62 
37 Governor Winthrop 64 

A Log House . 66 

39 Roger Williams Going into Exile 67 

The First Church at Salem . . 68 

42 Roger Williams Befriended by 

43 the Narragansetts .... 7° 

44 On the March to Connecticut . 73 
Governor Stuyvesant Refusing a 

44 Petition • • 75 

45 The Landing of Henry Hudson . 77 



IO 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PAGE 

Peter Stuyvesant 78 

Stuyvesant Destroys the Demand 

for Surrender 79 

Lord Baltimore 81 

Taking Possession of Maryland . 81 
Queen Henrietta Maria ... 83 
The Seal of the Province of Mary- 
land ......... 85 

William Penn 86 

Penn's House in Philadelphia . 86 

Admiral Penn 87 

Penn Treating with the Indians . 90 
Settlers Discussing the Constitu- 
tion 92 

The Earl of Shaftesbury ... 93 

John Locke 94 

A View of Charleston .... 96 
The Retreat from St. Augustine -97 

James Oglethorpe 98 

John Wesley Teaching the Indi- 
ans 101 

A Spanish Ship on the Florida 

Coast 102 

Transporting Marquette's Canoe 103 

Marquette's Grave 105 

The Chevalier De La Salle . . 107 

King Louis XIV 108 

A Birch-bark Canoe . . . .111 

James Wolfe 112 

The Heights of Abraham and 

Quebec 112 

William Pitt 113 

The Citadel of Quebec . . . .116 
The Death of General Wolfe . .118 
Boone's Encounter with his 

Brother 121 

Pioneers in the Forest Attacked 
by Indians 123 



PAGE 

Daniel Boone 125 

The Defense of Boonesborough . 126 

A Powder Horn 129 

Otis Discovers the Receipted 

Bill 130 

Faneuil Hall, "The Cradle of 

Liberty " 132 

James Otis 133 

Henry Pleading in Hanover 

Courthouse 135 

Patrick Henry 137 

Patrick Henry Making his Cele- 
brated Speech to the Burgesses 139 
Colonists Burning the Stamp 

Seller in Effigy 140 

An Early Revolutionary Flag . 142 

Taking Aim 143 

Washington's Army in Winter 

Quarters 144 

The Monument at Washington's 

Birthplace 145 

Martha Washington 148 

St. Peter's Church 149 

Washington and Lafayette at 

Valley Forge 151 

George Washington . . . .153 
Federal Hall, New York . . .154 
Mount Vernon in Washington's 

Time 1 57 

Pioneers on the Ohio River . .158 
Pioneer Explorers Accosted by 

Indians 1 59 

George Rogers Clark .... 161 
A Revolutionary Musket . . .164 

Benjamin Franklin 165 

Franklin Experimenting with 

Lightning 165 

The Birthplace of Franklin . . 166 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



I I 



PAGE 

An Early Printing Press ... 167 
Signing the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence l6 9 

The Liberty Bell "71 

Independence Hall *73 

An Old Continental Bill . . • »75 

Thomas Jefferson 176 

At Work on the Declaration . .176 
Monticello, Jefferson's Home . 178 
The Committee Drafting the 

Declaration of Independence . 179 
The Statue of Jefferson . . .181 
The Grounds of the University 

of Virginia l8 5 

Robert Fulton ...... 187 

The Statue of Fulton .... 189 

The Clermont I 9° 

A Modern Steamship . . . . 19 1 

Decatur I 9 2 

Burning the Philadelphia . . 192 
American Sailors Firing on a 

Hostile Vessel *94 

The Battle between the Mace- 
donian and the United States 197 
A Chase on the High Seas . . 200 

Andrew Jackson 201 

The Capitol in 1825 201 

The Hermitage 2 °3 

The Battle of New Orleans . . 205 
The Charge at San Jacinto . . 208 

General Houston 210 

The Alamo 2I 3 

The Present Capitol of Texas . 214 
The "Lone Star" Flag ... 216 
"Give Them a Little More 
Grape, Captain Bragg" . .217 

General Taylor 218 

The Battle of Okeechobee . .219 



General Taylor at the Battle of 

Monterey 22 ° 

Clay's Early Exercise in Oratory. 225 

Henry Clay 227 

Clay Making his Plea for Com- 
promise 229 

Daniel Webster at School . . 233 
Daniel Webster . ... . . .234 

Senator Hayne 238 

Webster's "Study" 240 

Calhoun Studying Law . . .241 

John C. Calhoun 243 

McCormick Working in the 

Blacksmith Shop 247 

S. F. B. Morse 249 

A Modern Reaping Machine . 251 
Cyrus H. McCormick . . . .252 

Telegraph Wires 254 

Beauvoir 2 55 

Davis Taking the Oath of Office 255 
Alexander H. Stephens . . .256 
"The White House of the Con- 
federacy " 2 58 

Jefferson Davis 2 6o 

The Davis Plot at Hollywood . 262 
The Confederate "Stars and 
Bars " and the Battle Flag . . 264 

Abraham Lincoln 265 

The Hut where Lincoln was 



Born 



Young Lincoln at Work on the 
River 



266 



268 



The National Capitol at Wash- 
ington 2 7 r 

The Great Seal of the United 
States 2 73 

General R. E. Lee 274 

Arlington, the Home of Lee . . 274 



12 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PAGE 

The Attack on Fort Sumter . . 275 

The Birthplace of General Lee . 276 

General Joseph E. Johnston . . 277 

A Statue of " Stonewall " Jackson 278 
General Pickett's Charge at 

Gettysburg 280 

General Lee 283 

General Grant 285 

Caring for the Wounded . . . 287 
Young Edison and the Rescued 

Child 288 



PAGE 

Thomas A. Edison 290 

An Electrical Display .... 293 

Alexander Graham Bell . . . 295 

Dewey on the Quarter Deck . . 297 

General Fitzhugh Lee .... 298 

The Battle of Manila Bay . . 300 

Admiral Dewey 302 

Lieutenant Hobson 304 

The Merrimac Entering San- 
tiago Harbor 305 

The American Flag .... 307 



Maos. 



PAGE 

The World as Known in the 
Time of Columbus .... 14 

The Route of Columbus's First 
Voyage 19 

The Lands Columbus Discov- 
ered 22 

The Long March of De Soto . . 40 

The Site of the First Colo- 
nies 46 

Map of Chesapeake Bay ... 58 

Where the Pilgrims and the Puri- 
tans Settled 65 

The Explorations of La Salle and 
Hennepin 109 



How our Country was Divided 

after the French War . . . 120 
The English Colonial Territory 

in 1750 146 

The Territory of the Young 

Nation 155 

The Old Northwest 162 

The United States after the Pur- 
chase of Louisiana .... 183 
The United States in 1846 . . 223 
The United States in 1848 . . 223 
The Oregon Cession .... 236 
A Battle "Map of the Virginia 
Campaigns 282 




CHAPTER I. 

Columbus. 

1436(?)-1506. 

FOUR hundred and fifty years ago, little was known about the 
world and its geography. Nearly every one thought that the 
earth was flat and had four corners, and that the sun moved daily 
through the skies across the earth's surface. The only known 
countries were Europe, northern Africa, and western and south- 
ern Asia. No one dreamed that there might be a great continent 
to the west of Europe. 

Of all the peoples of Asia, only the Turks were well known 
to Europeans. The Turks conquered western Asia, passed into 
Europe, captured the great city of Constantinople, and made it 
the capital of their dominions. The Europeans carried on an 
extensive trade with India, from which country were brought 
silks, fine cloth and costly jewels. The Turks, on entering 
eastern Europe, interfered greatly with this trade by refusing to 
let the merchants of Europe go through their dominions. They 
would often seize the goods which Christian merchants were bring- 
ing in caravans across the deserts of Arabia. Venice and Genoa 
(Jen o-ah) in Italy, the chief commercial cities of Europe, had be- 
come rich and prosperous by trading with India. The loss of this 
trade was a matter of deep concern to their merchants, who were 
eagerly hoping that some new route to India might be discovered. 



H 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



West of Europe lay the Atlantic ocean, which in those days 
was believed to contain terrible monsters and sea-dragons. No 
man had dared to sail far upon this deep and unknown ocean 
until 1492, when a bold sailor crossed it in search of India. Let 
me tell you of this daring seaman, Christopher Columbus. 

His birthplace was the beautiful city of Genoa. His father 
was a wool comber, — a man "who prepared wool so that it could be 

made into thread and cloth. 
Christopher was the oldest 
of four children, having 
two brothers and one sister. 
His father was a poor man, 
so Christopher's education 
was neglected. The boy, 
however, learned reading, 
writing, some arithmetic 
and geometry, and draw- 
ing. He also attended a 
university, but his father 
soon put him to work 
combine wool. 

Unknown Easasi ° 

Columbus was ambi- 
tious and had a great de- 
sire to be a sailor. When 
a boy, he would visit the docks of the city, and watch the ships 
as they came in from distant parts of the world. The old 
sailors used to tell him about the marvels of foreign lands. He 
was not frightened by the stories they told him of giants and 
monsters, but only wished to see the lands where they were 
found. When he was fourteen years of age, his father allowed 
him to join an expedition against Naples, which was at war with 
Genoa. In this expedition, the boy Columbus by his bravery 
won the respect of the old soldiers and sailors. 




THE WORLD AS KNOWN IN THE TIME OF 
COLUMBUS. 



COLUMBUS. 



15 



A few years later, not far from the coast of Portugal, there 
was fought a naval battle between the Venetians and the Genoese, 
in which Columbus commanded one of the Genoese ships. He 
ordered the grappling-hooks to be thrown upon a Venetian vessel 
and his men to engage in a hand-to-hand encounter with the 
enemy. In the conflict, his ship was set on fire. When he saw 
that it was lost, he plunged into the water, and, being a good 
swimmer, reached the shores of 
Portugal. 

While in Portugal, Columbus 
became greatly interested in the 
study of geography. He married 
the daughter of a Portuguese ex- 
plorer, and from his wife he secured 
many maps and charts that her 
father had used in his explorations. 
The studies of Columbus caused 
him to believe that the world was 
round. He believed also that he 
could reach India by sailing west. 
Some to whom he made known his 
belief, laughed at him, but he was 
not to be discouraged by their ridi- 
cule. He became all the more determined to sail west into the At- 
lantic, if he could only get aid, for, being a poor man himself, he did 
not have the money to fit out ships for such a dangerous enterprise. 

Columbus first applied for help to King John of Portugal, 
who had a passion for exploration. King John, though he loved 
adventure, feared that the expedition proposed by Columbus was 
too hazardous, so he called together the Portuguese geographers. 
They said that no man could sail west to India, as the world was 
flat. The geographers thought that Columbus was crazy ; and 
the king refused to help him in such a scheme. 




CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 



l6 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

Disappointed, but full of courage, Columbus departed from 
Portugal. Like every true man who believes that he is right, he 
decided to continue in his efforts to prove that the earth is 
round, and that India could be reached by sailing across the 
Atlantic. How much we should admire Columbus for his 
perseverance and courage ! 

Columbus, on his departure from Portugal, went at once to 
Spain, hoping to get aid from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. 
From the queen he expected assistance, as she was always ready 
to help any enterprise which would bring good to her kingdom and 
increase the knowledge of her people. He had great difficulty, 
however, in getting permission to appear before the queen to tell 
of his plans, but at last she heard him. She called together the 
learned scholars of Spain to listen to the proposals of Columbus. 
They laughed at him and said that he was certainly a lunatic. 
" The earth cannot be round, as Columbus declares," said one 
man, " for, if it is, there will be people on the other side from 
us walking with their heels upward." Picture to yourself 
Columbus, the simple sailor, standing before these learned men. 
His clothes were ragged and he looked like a beggar. But he 
spoke with the power of a man inspired by a great cause. He 
grew eloquent as he stated and argued his views as to the shape 
of the earth, and the possibility of a voyage to India across the 
Atlantic. But he convinced only one man — a friar, who was a 
professor in one of the queen's colleges. This good man kept 
Queen Isabella from rejecting the plans proposed by Columbus, 
and finally persuaded her to help him, just as he was about to 
leave to seek aid in France. 

A large sum of money was needed to equip ships for the 
voyage. How was it to be raised? The treasury of Spain was 
empty, but the queen came to the rescue and said, " I will sell 
my jewels to raise the necessary funds." A great American 
named Washington Irving, who wrote about three hundred and 



COLUMBUS 



17 



fifty years afterwards, has said : "This was the proudest moment 
in the life of Isabella; it stamped her renown forever as the 
patroness of the discovery of the New World." But the good 
queen did not have to sell her jewels, for her offer to do so had 
the effect of making 
people believe that, 
after all, Columbus was 
not going upon a fool- 
ish voyage. 

As soon as Queen 
Isabella decided to 
help him, Columbus 
began at once to pre- 
pare for what was to 
be the most famous 
voyage in all history. 
When the ships were 
ready, few sailors were 
willing to go, because 
they believed that in 
the Atlantic there were 
great sea-monsters 
which would take the 
ships on their backs 
and toss them into the 
air, or sink them in the 

sea. At length two brothers, Martin and Vicente (Ve-sen'ta) Pin- 
zon (Pen-thon'), who were rich citizens of Palos, joined Columbus. 
They were seamen of great renown and ability. The magistrates 
of Palos forced other seamen to join the expedition, and, all 
being now ready, the last farewells were said, and the three little 
ships, the Pinta, the Santa Maria, and the Nina, sailed out of 
the harbor of Palos on the 3d of August (1492). A deep gloom 




QUEEN ISABELLA. 



18 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

fell upon the city, for the people thought that the ships would 
never be seen again. 

Columbus sailed in a southwestern direction. He had with 
him the mariner's compass and a map drawn by his friend Tos- 
canelli. He carried also a letter of introduction from the 
King of Spain to the Emperor of China, which country he ex- 
pected to find on the voyage. On the third day of the voyage 
the rudder of the Pinta was broken. The sailors were ready to 
turn back, but Columbus insisted on going on, and soon reached 
the Canary Islands, where repairs were made. He then sailed 
due west into the unexplored ocean. When the Canaries passed 
from their view, the hearts of the crew failed them. The rugged 
seamen shed tears when they thought of their country, their 
friends and their families behind them, and of the mystery and 
peril which lay before them. 

After sailing for two weeks, they saw still no sign of land. 
Columbus had gone farther west than man had ever sailed before, 
so far that he was afraid to tell his men. The wind blew so 
constantly from the east that the sailors thought that they would 
never again see Spain, because there would be no winds from the 
west to carry them back. A month had passed since the Canaries 
had been left, and still no land came in view. The crew begged 
Columbus to return home, but he refused. They then openly 
defied him, believing that he was leading them to certain death 
on the unknown and mighty ocean. The sailors would probably 
have killed the brave man, had there not come signs of land. 

They saw certain fish which lived close to land. A branch 
with red berries on it floated by one ship, and a carved stick was 
picked up. All gloom then disappeared, for the crew believed 
that land was near. This was the afternoon of October 1 1, 1492 ; 
evening approached, and land had not yet been reached. No 
one on the ships could sleep that night. Columbus stood on 
the highest deck of his vessel, and about one o'clock he saw a 



COLUMBUS. 



19 



bright light shining at a great distance. It disappeared, and 
then he saw it again. The Pint a was in the lead, and about 
two o'clock in the morning one of her guns was fired to announce 
that land had been discovered. Rodrigo de Triana (Rod're-go 
da Tre'ah-nah) was the name of the sailor who first saw land 
in the New World. At the break of day, October 12, 1492, 
Columbus saw before him a beautiful green island. In spite of 




A20RES > 



ROUTE OF COLUMBUS 



TIIK ROUTE OF COLUMHLS S FIRST VOYAGE. 



all that the wise men of Spain had said, he had actually reached 
land by sailing west. 

Going ashore, he fell upon his knees and gave thanks to 
God for having brought him safely across the great sea. He and 
his companions wept for joy, and there upon their knees thanked 
God for His goodness to them. When Columbus rose from his 
knees, he drew his sword and claimed the land in the name of 
Ferdinand and Isabella. The flag of Spain was raised, and all 
the crew swore to obey Columbus as the ruler for the sovereigns 
of Spain. They then crowded around Columbus, embracing him 



20 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



and kissing; his hands. Those who had resisted him on the 
voyage fell at his feet and begged him to forgive them. 

While Columbus was taking possession of the island, the 
natives saw the ships, and numbers of them came to the shore. 
They were afraid*, and stood at a great distance from Columbus 
and his companions. Finally they approached the Spaniards, 
bowing to the ground as they advanced. They took the 
Spaniards by the hands, and were amazed at their 
white skin. Never before had they seen a white man. 
The Spaniards were equally amazed at the naked sax- 
ages, with their skins painted in many colors. The 
natural color of their skin was copper, and their black 
hair was straight, long and coarse. They had high 
foreheads and piercing eyes. Columbus did not know 
to what race they belonged ; so he called them In- 
dians, because he thought the land was India. But 
instead of India, he had reached an island in the 
Bahama group which lies to the east of Florida. 

After a few days Columbus sailed away in search 
of other lands. He first explored the fertile islands 
of the Bahama group, and then, sailing southward, 
discovered Cuba and Haiti (Hay'te). In Haiti he 
found Indians living in towns containing as many as 
two thousand inhabitants. These Indians had many 
gold ornaments, and told Columbus that there was much gold in 
the mountains. With the hope of securing wealth for Spain, 
Columbus at once established a colony in Haiti. A fort was 
built, and thirty-nine Spaniards were left on the island. 

Columbus now turned towards Spain, and after a stormy 
voyage reached Palos in safety. He was received in triumph. 
The whole city came out to meet him, and his name was hon- 
ored in all Spain. The king and queen summoned him to 
Barcelona, and he at once set out on his journey to the court of 




AX INDIAN 

WEAPON. 



COLUMBUS. 21 

Spain. In every city through which he passed, he was received 
as a prince, and the people looked with awe upon the Indians 
whom he had brought with him. 

When Columbus reached Barcelona, he was carried through 
the city with great pomp. As he entered the hall in which 
Ferdinand and Isabella awaited him, they rose from their seats, 
— an act of courtesy which, in those days, kings showed to 
princes only. They even ordered Columbus to be seated in 
their presence, which was permitted only to persons of royal 
rank. The king and queen heard the marvelous story of dis- 
covery, and then they offered prayers of thanksgiving to God. 
As long as Columbus stayed at Barcelona, he was treated as 
a prince, and was even invited to ride with the king. How 
changed now was his condition, for when he first entered Spain 
he was in rags, and was regarded as a poor dreamer who had 
probably lost his mind. 

Columbus soon prepared for a second voyage to the newly 
discovered lands. He wished to look after the colony at Haiti, 
of which he had been made governor, and believed that he would 
find there great quantities of gold. In preparing for his first 
voyage, he found it difficult to get sailors to go; but now many 
persons, even the nobles of Spain, were anxious to join the 
expedition. 

Columbus sailed the twenty-fifth of September, 1493, with 
seventeen ships and fifteen hundred men, all of whom had hopes 
of great wealth. When Haiti was reached, Columbus searched 
for the thirty-nine men whom he had left on the island, but not 
one could be found. It was learned that all of them had been 
killed by the Indians, for they had angered the natives by their 
deeds of cruelty. 

Columbus placed another colony on the island and built a 
city, which he called Isabella, in honor of the Queen of Spain. 
The land was very fertile, and gold was seen glittering in some 



22 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

of the streams. But in a short while the settlers became dis- 
satisfied, because they did not find gold on every hand. Then 
they began to find fault with Columbus, as if he were to blame. 
Their murmurings caused the sovereigns of Spain to appoint 
another governor in his place. This new governor of Haiti was 
a cruel man, and by his order Columbus was sent back to Spain 
in chains, on the charge of having stolen money which belonged 




THE LANDS COLUMBUS DISCOVERED. 
(The'white spots show 7i>/iat Columbus discovered^) 

to the Spanish government. These false charges against Colum- 
bus angered the king and queen, who immediately released him 
and received him with much kindness. 

Columbus made two other voyages across the Atlantic, and, in 
addition to Cuba, Haiti and many small islands, he discovered the 
northern part of South America and a part of Central America, 
which lands he thought were parts of Asia. The people of 
Spain were disappointed because these discoveries did not open 
to them the wealth of India, and therefore Columbus did not 
receive from the Spaniards the honor which was due him. 



COLUxMBUS. 23 

After his fourth voyage he returned to Spain, broken in health 
and feeble from age. Weighted down by disappointment, he 
was taken ill and died in 1506, being about seventy years of age. 
King Ferdinand realized, when Columbus was dead, what Spain 
had gained by his discoveries, and caused a monument to be 
erected to his memory. The honors which should have gone to 
Columbus, were given to his descendants, and they became 
nobles of Spain. 

Geography Study. Map of the World. Find China, Japan, India, 
Arabia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Canary Islands, Bahama Islands, 
Cuba, Haiti, North and South America. Locate the following cities : 
Constantinople, Venice, Genoa, Naples, Palos and Barcelona. 

Review Questions. — What were the known countries of the world 
450 years ago ? What did the Turks have to do with trade to India ? 
What were the chief trading cities of Europe ? Tell of Columbus as a 
boy. Tell of his part in the wars against Naples and Venice. Tell of his 
residence in Portugal. What were his views about the earth ? How did 
he think India could be reached ? Tell of his proposal to King John of 
Portugal. How did the King and Queen of Spain receive him ? How 
did he manage to get aid for his enterprise ? What did the queen say ? 
Tell of the preparation for the voyage and why the sailors were afraid to 
go. Give an account of the voyage. In what way did Columbus take 
possession of the new lands ? Tell of the natives who came to see 
Columbus. What land had been discovered ? What large islands were 
discovered ? What did Columbus do in Haiti ? Tell of how he was 
received on his return to Spain by the people and by the king and queen. 
Tell of the second voyage. What ill-treatment did Columbus undergo ? 
How many other voyages did Columbus make and what lands did he 
discover ? Tell of his death. Write a composition telling what you think 
of Columbus. 



^IBIPS 




Americus Vespucius, 



1451-1512. 



THOUGH Columbus was the first white man to touch the 
shore of the New World, he did not know that he had dis- 
covered two new continents. It was Americus Vespucius or 
Amerigo Vespucci (A-mer-e-go Ves-poo'che), as the Italians called 
him, who first claimed that a new continent had been reached. 

Americus Vespucius was born in Florence, Italy. His early 
education was intrusted to one of his uncles, who was a learned 
scholar and a priest. Since Americus was to be a merchant, he 
was taught geography, and was told of the different people with 
whom he would trade. He also learned some astronomy and 
some Latin, but his great ambition was to be a good geographer. 
In this desire he was encouraged by that same Toscanelli who 
had drawn a map of the world for Columbus. Toscanelli lived 
in Florence, and we can imagine young Americus listening to 
his views about the shape of the earth and the location of the 
different countries. When his school days were over, Americus 
became a merchant, an occupation which many of the Floren- 
tines followed. He still devoted much time to the study of 
geography, and bought many charts and maps, which were very 
expensive in those days. 



AMERICUS VESPUCIUS. 25 

While Columbus was on his first voyage of discovery, Ameri- 
cus went to Spain and became as excited as the Spaniards over 
the prospect of having a new route to India. When Columbus 
returned from his voyage, Americus met him and talked with 
him about the discoveries. Picture to yourself the two men as 
they sat together and talked about the wonderful voyage which 
Columbus had made. Columbus was a tall man with a dignified 
bearing. He had fair skin and light hair. By his side sat 
Americus, a thick-set, brawny man, with very black hair. Every 
expression of his face showed that he was a great thinker. 

Columbus believed that Asia had been reached, but Americus 
thought otherwise, because he knew that the world was so large 
that one could not reach Asia by sailing westward without going 
at least three times as far to the west as Columbus had sailed. In 
1497, Americus determined to become an explorer, and he entered 
the service of the King of Spain, who provided him' with four 
ships in which he sailed from . Cadiz. After sailing west for 
twenty-seven days, he touched land somewhere in the West 
Indies. 

In some letters which he afterwards wrote to his friends in 
Florence, Americus told of the many wonderful things which he 
saw. According to his account, the Indians wore no clothes, 
were of middle size, and had skin of a reddish color, like that of 
a lion. They were good swimmers, the women even better than 
the men. For weapons they used only the bow and arrow, and 
had never heard a gun or a cannon. One day many natives 
came on board his ship, and in order to rid himself of them, he 
had a cannon fired into the air. This frightened them so badly 
that the men and women jumped overboard and swam to the 
shore. The Indians did not sleep in beds, but had nets (ham- 
mocks), which were suspended in the air. Their homes were 
made of logs, and were built in villages. They had no form of 
religion. When a person died, they buried him in a mound, in 



26 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

which water and food were put for him. Some of these people 
never ate meat except the bodies of men and women taken in 
war. Others sometimes ate roasted snakes. They raised no 
grain, and their principal food was roots, worms, and fruits. 

After a voyage of more than a year, during which time Ameri- 
cus visited that part of South America now known as Venezuela, 
he returned to Spain. There he married a lady of noble birth, 
and was received at court by the king and queen. 

In 1499, at the request of the King of Spain, Americus went 
on his second voyage. He sailed southwest ward, and in twenty- 
four days touched the 
northern part of South 
America. Here Americus 
saw birds of many colors. 
Some were crimson col- 
ored, some had variegated 
green-and-lemon colored plumage, 
and others were entirely green, 
black, or flesh colored. _ The songs 
of these birds so delighted him 
that he often lingered beneath the trees to listen to their music. 
The trees were beautiful in their foliage, and the blossoms as fra- 
grant as balm. He almost imagined that they were the trees of 
paradise. One day as he was admiring the beautiful scenes 
about him, he came upon a huge and frightful serpent twenty- 
four feet long, and as large around its body as a man. How great 
must have been the interest with which his hearers listened to 
the wonderful tales which he told when he returned to Spain ! 

In the meanwhile some ships from Portugal, in trying to sail 
to Asia around the south of Africa, had been driven by the winds 
to the eastern coast of South America. This fact was reported 
at once to the King of Portugal, who sent a messenger to Spain 
asking Americus to command an expedition to the new-found 




AMERICUS VESPUCIUS. 



*7 



land. After much persuasion Americus agreed to sail under the 

flag of Portugal. An expedition was fitted out (1501), and 

Americus sailed to the southwest, finally reaching the shores of 

Brazil. He then passed south of 

the Equator along the coast of 

South America till he reached the 

Antarctic Sea, where he saw great 

icebergs. This voyage was the 

most important that Americus 

made, because it convinced him 

that the lands which he saw were 

not a part of Asia, but were in 

reality a New World. Not one of 

all the ancient geographers knew 

of these lands, so when Americus 

first reported in Europe that a new 

continent had been discovered, the 

people would not believe him. 

He told so many things, however, 

about this voyage that his account 

was soon accepted as true. 

In 1503, he made a fourth voy- 
age, for the King of Portugal. He 
again visited Brazil and deter- 
mined its latitude and longitude. 
Upon this trip he became abso- 
lutely certain that a new continent 
had been found, and he convinced 

the European geographers of this fact, though Columbus claimed 
that the new lands were a part of Asia. Americus caused maps 
to be drawn showing to the southwest of Europe a new conti- 
nent, which was not a part of Asia. Now, the ancient geogra- 
phers had believed that there were four parts to the world : — 




AMERICUS VESPUCIUS. 



28 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

Europe was one ; Asia, another ; and Africa, another ; so, when 
the European geographers saw the maps they said that he had 
found the fourth part of the world. 

In 1507, a little geography was printed which told of this 
fourth part, and in this book the newly discovered lands were 
called America in honor of Americus Vespucius, because he had 
discovered a fourth continent. At first the name America was 
applied only to South America, but in a short while it was used 
for all the New World. Had our country been named after 
Columbus, we should now be living in Columbia. To Americus 
Vespucius properly belongs the honor of having given the name 
to the. lands lying west of Europe, because he first proved that 
they were new continents. You will also be interested to know 
that America is the only continent named after a man, for the 
other continents take their names from women. 

Shortly after his fourth voyage Americus left Portugal and 
went back to Spain, arriving just as Columbus, worn out and dis- 
couraged, returned from his last voyage. He talked to Columbus 
and tried to help and encourage him. In spite of the fact that 
Americus had left the service of Spain for that of Portugal, the 
Spanish king received him at court and made him the chief pilot 
of the kingdom. Again entering the service of Spain, Americus 
went on three other voyages. In 15 12 he died, honored and re- 
spected as an explorer, astronomer and geographer. 

Geography Study. Map of Europe. Locate Florence and Cadiz. 
Map of North and South America. Find the West Indies, Venezuela, 
Brazil, and the Antarctic Ocean. 

Review Questions. Tell of the boyhood of Americus Vespucius. 
What astronomer did he know ? How did he show his love for geogra- 
phy ? How did Americus meet Columbus ? Tell of their meeting. 
Compare the two men and their views. Why did Americus become an 



AMERICUS VESPUCIUS. 



2 9 



explorer ? How many voyages did he make for Spain ? How many for 
Portugal ? Tell of the Indians he saw. Tell of the birds, trees and the 
snake which he saw, on his second voyage. Tell of his third and fourth 
voyages. How did our country come to be named America instead of 

Columbia ? 




O 




CHAPTER III. 

John and Sebastian 
Cabot. 



As soon as the discoveries of Columbus became known, many 
of the European kings sent out expeditions in search of Asia. 
In the service of the King of Portugal Vasco da Gama (Vahs'co 
dah Gah'mah) sailed around the south of Africa and reached 
India, being the first European to pass around the Cape of Good 
Hope and to sail across the Indian Ocean. 

At this time the King of England was Henry VII. He was 
a very " stingy" king, and knew how to get and to save money. 
In order to add to his wealth he was anxious to acquire some of 
the riches of Asia, and determined to see if English ships could 
reach that wealthy land. The geographers claimed that there 
was a " northwest passage " around the islands which Columbus 
had discovered, so Henry VII. decided that an English expedi- 
tion should look for this way to India and China. 

At that time there lived in England a merchant named John 
Cabot, who, like Columbus, was a native of Italy. Little is 
known of the early life of John Cabot, but he resided for a long 
time in Venice, where he was probably born. He was a re- 
nowned sailor, and was a great traveler, having visited Jerusalem 
and Arabia. He was also a merchant and had traded with India 



JOHN AND SEBASTIAN CABOT. 



31 



by means of the caravans which went through Arabia and western 
Asia. After many adventures he settled in Bristol, England, 
and became a wealthy merchant. 

John Cabot had three sons, of whom the best known was 
Sebastian, a good seaman, a great student of geography and a 
lover of adventure. Sebastian was a Venetian by birth and was 
brought to England when a mere lad. Wherever his father 
went, Sebastian usually accompanied him. We are told that 
the father and son made many voyages 
on the Atlantic Ocean, which, they 
believed, contained many islands. 

According to Sebastian's state- 
ment he and his father, as early as 1494, 
in a. western voyage touched a new 
land, which was probably the island 
of Cape Breton in the Gulf of St. 
Lawrence. Returning to England 
they told of their discovery, and when 
they heard of the many discoveries 
which Columbus and others were mak- 
ing they applied to King Henry for 
permission to search for the northwest 

passage to India. Henry was greatly pleased at the opportunity 
to send out such daring seamen as the Cabots, and he readily 
granted to John Cabot and his three sons, Lewis, Sebastian and 
Sanzio, the permission which they sought. The king likewise 
fitted out one ship, which was joined by three others furnished by 
the citizens of Bristol. With these four vessels, John Cabot, in 
1497, sailed from Bristol, England, to explore the western seas. 
He had not gone far before three of the ships turned back ; but 
the small vessel in which he sailed continued the journey. After 
about a month he discovered land, which he called Newfound- 
land. The new land was probably that part of North America 







^M 










kjr 




W*l 






iy»i( 


JjtJ 

SKI 






1 


I* 1 
1 » 1 




Ml 



KING HENRY VII. 



32 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

lying around the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Cabot went ashore and 
took possession in the name of the King of England. After 
planting there a cross to indicate that the land was held in the 
name of Christ, he planted by its side the banner of England, 
to mark that the land was the property of the English crown. 

When Cabot got home he told of the new country, of the great 
icebergs which he had seen, of the white polar bears and of the 
deer larger than any in England. He announced that he had 
touched on the shores of China and that he had opened the 
treasures of all wealth to English ships and commerce. Cabot 
was called " High Admiral." The king promised him a fleet for 
a new expedition, and even gave him ;£io ($50) for discovering 
the new lands. 

The Cabots were anxious to find out more about the new 
land, and, with the consent of the king, prepared for another 
expedition. It seems that John Cabot died before he was able 
to set sail, and that the expedition was conducted by Sebastian. 
There were probably five ships in the voyage manned by three 
hundred men. Sebastian had two things in mind : one was to 
colonize the newly discovered land, and the other was to find the 
Emperor of China and to open up commercial relations between 
him and the King of England. He sailed in a northwestern 
direction and probably reached Greenland ; then turning south- 
ward, he touched the shores of North America as far north as 
Labrador, and, may be, he entered what is now Hudson Bay. 
Sebastian then sailed south looking for China. Some historians 
tell us that he went as far south as Florida, but the most reliable 
accounts say that he sailed no farther than North Carolina. He 
then returned to England, greatly disappointed because he had 
not found China with its store of wealth. The English king 
was worried because his money had been spent and no good 
results had been produced, and it is said that he blamed Sebastian 
Cabot. 



JOHN AND SEBASTIAN CABOT. 



33 



■ Sebastian lived many years longer, but, as Henry VII. did 
not appreciate his discoveries, he went into the service of the 
King of Spain, for whom he 
planned. new expeditions to the 
West Indies and South America. 
Years afterwards (1543), when 
Edward VI. was king, Sebastian 
returned to England. Edward 
took him into his service, and 
thus acknowledged that England 
owed much to the Cabots. 

The Cabots were the first 
Europeans to sail along the coast 
of North America, so to them 
belongs the honor of having dis- 
covered this continent. As peo- 
ple of English descent, we are 
proud that the land in which we 
live was discovered by two brave 
seamen sailing under the flag of 
old England. 

But for the fact that the 
Cabots, sailing under the English 
flag, discovered North America, 
the English would have had no 
claim on this great continent, and 
there might never have been an 

English colony in America. For this reason we should remem- 
ber John Cabot and his son, Sebastian. 

Geography Study. Map of the- World. Find India, Arabia, 
England, Portugal, Cape of Good Hope, Labrador, Gulf of St. Lawrence, 
Cape Breton, Bristol, Jerusalem, Indian Ocean, North Carolina and 
Florida. 




THE CABOT MEMORIAL TOWER AT 
BRISTOL, ENGLAND. 



34 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



Review Questions. What did Vasco da Gama do? Tell of King 
Henry VII. What was the belief about a northwest passage? Who was 
John Cabot? Who was Sebastian Cabot? Tell of the first voyage of the 
Cabots. Tell of the second voyage. Tell of Sebastian Cabot's voyage 
in search of China. Why should we remember the Cabots? 







THE ROYAL ARMS OF ENGLAND. 



V % 

'It 



gi 11 ;,•■: , ■ pfc i $& ,' ; ,|f -4' 1 < - 









De Soto in the Swamps of Fl 



CHAPTER IV. 



Ponce de Leon. Balboa. De Soto. 



1460-1521. 



1475-1517. 



1496-1542. 



ONE of the men who were with Columbus on his second voy- 
age was Juan Ponce, usually known as Ponce de Leon (Pon'tha 
da La-on'), because he was a native of the Province of Leon in 
Spain. In his boyhood he had been brought up as a page in a 
noble family where he heard many stories of adventure. The 
wonderful things which were reported by Columbus after his first 
voyage caused Ponce de Leon to join the second expedition of 
Columbus to the New World. In Haiti he distinguished himself 
as a great fighter of the Indians. He conquered the eastern part 
of Haiti, and was made governor of that province. Then he 
longed to conquer the island of Porto Rico from the Indians, 
because he believed that it was very fertile, and that its moun- 
tains were filled with an immense amount of gold. 

One day Ponce de Leon made a visit to Porto Rico, where 
he was received in the most friendly way by an Indian ruler who 
took him into various parts of the island. From this ruler he 
heard wonderful stories of wealth, and was shown two rivers, the 



36 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

bottoms of which contained pebbles that sparkled like pure gold. 
At once Ponce de Leon returned to Haiti, raised a small force 
of Spaniards, and invaded and conquered Porto Rico. It is 
interesting to note that this island remained in the hands of 
Spain until a few years ago when, at the close of the Spanish- 
American war, it was acquired by the United States. 

Ponce de Leon was a cruel ruler, and he deceived the Indians 
in many ways. He seized their gold and silver, and for fear that 
they might rise up against him, he claimed that he and his fol- 
lowers were gods. For a while, the Indians were deceived, but 
when one of the Spaniards was killed, they learned that the 
Spaniards were only human like themselves. At once they re- 
belled against Ponce de Leon, but he soon subdued all the tribes 
of the island. 

Ponce de Leon was a superstitious man. He heard many 
wonderful stories from the Indians, some of which he believed to 
be true. He was especially delighted to learn from them that 
not far west of Cuba was a rich land where there was a foun- 
tain, in which, if one bathed, even though aged, he might be 
restored to youth. Ponce de Leon determined to go in search 
of this " fountain of youth." Therefore he fitted out an expedi- 
tion and sailed west. On Palm Sunday, 15 13, just one week 
before Easter, he touched upon a land where the orange trees 
were blooming and the fields were gay with flowers. He called 
the land Florida, a word which in Spanish means " flowery." 
This is our present State of Florida. For nearly a year Ponce 
de Leon searched in this land of blossoms and orange groves for 
the wonderful fountain of youth ; and when, at last, he lost hope 
of finding it, he returned to Porto Rico and afterwards went to 
Spain. At the Spanish court many laughed at the old soldier 
for being foolish enough to look for a fountain of youth, but the 
king treated him kindly, and sent him back to America to 
continue his discoveries. 



PONCE DE LEON. BALBOA. DE SOTO. 



37 



Florida was first thought to be an island, but while leading 
an expedition against some Indians in the Caribbee (kar'i-be) 
Islands, Ponce de Leon heard that it was a land of vast extent. 
He immediately went there again. When he touched upon the 
coast, he was met by hostile Indians. A battle ensued, in which 
Ponce de Leon was wounded by an arrow. He was at once 
carried to Cuba where he died ( [ 52 1) from the effects of the 
wound. Upon his tomb was placed 
this curious inscription : " In this 
sepulchre rest the bones of a man 
who was a lion (Leon) by name 
and still more by nature." 

Ponce de Leon was the first 
Spaniard who reached any territory 
which lies within the present bound- 
ary of the United States. 

The same year in which Ponce 
de Leon first visited Florida, the 
Pacific ocean was discovered by an- 
other Spaniard named Vasco Nunez 
de Balboa (Vahs'co Noon'yath da 
Bahl-bo'ah). 

Balboa was of noble birth. 
When a young man he joined the 

colony at Haiti, where he made many debts and became an outlaw. 
In order to escape punishment he concealed himself in a barrel 
which was placed upon a ship sailing to Darien, a Spanish settle- 
ment upon the Isthmus of Panama. After the ship had gotten 
to sea, Balboa broke out the head of the barrel and appeared 
before the sailors, who at once accepted him as a companion. 

The vessel was wrecked in a storm, but Balboa reached 
Darien, where he soon became a leader. Filled with the desire 
for adventure, he made an expedition against some neighboring 




PONCE DE LEON. 



$$ MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

Indians from whom he secured much gold. When this gold was 
being divided between Balboa and his followers, a dispute arose 
among some of the Spaniards as to the value of certain pieces of 
it. This so disgusted an Indian chief, who was standing by, 
that he struck the scales with his fists and told the Spaniards 
that they were quarreling over a mere trifle, and that, if they 
would climb the lofty mountains to the west, they would find a 
great sea, into which many small streams flowed. According to 
the Indian's account, all of these streams yielded gold in such 
abundance that it was more plentiful than iron among the 
Spaniards. 

Balboa also heard that in this land there was a great temple, 
to which the Indians had for hundreds of years been bringing 
vast quantities of gold. So much treasure had been deposited 
there that the temple was said to be filled. 

These stories aroused in the money-loving Spaniard a strong 
desire to secure the treasure, and he at once began to look 
for the temple of gold. The mountains were explored and 
great forests were crossed, but still the temple was undis- 
covered. Balboa then determined to climb the mountains in 
search of the great sea. After a perilous journey he reached 
their summit and — behold !— he saw to the west a vast ocean. 
He descended to it and claimed it and all the islands it contained 
for the King of Spain. Balboa called this great ocean the 
South Sea, but because its waters were so quiet and still, the 
new-found ocean was afterwards named the Pacific. Never before 
had a European stood, upon American soil and viewed its vast 
expanse. Balboa's discovery showed to the Europeans that 
America was separated from Asia by a great ocean. 

Balboa's fate was a sad one. Upon his return to Darien, he 
was accused of trying to overthrow the Spanish power in America. 
He was brought to trial, condemned as a traitor and put to 
death (15 17). 



TONCE DE LEON. BALBOA. DE SOTO. 



39 



The discoveries of Ponce de Leon and Balboa were of great 
importance in showing to the Europeans the extent of the New 
World; but the size of its rivers and the vastness of its forests 




BALBOA S FIRST SIGHT OF THE PACIFIC. 



were for a long time unknown. It was another Spaniard who 
discovered the Mississippi and first explored much of the region 
now included in the United States. This was Fernando de 
Soto (Fer-nan'do da. So'to). 

De Soto was a Spaniard of noble birth, but his parents were 
very poor. When a young man, he became interested in the 
Spanish discoveries in the New World. He was so thrilled with 
the stories of Cortez in Mexico, and with the accounts of the 
discovery of the Pacific by Balboa, and of the exploration of 



4° 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



Florida by Ponce de Leon, that he too wanted to go on an 
expedition ; but he was so poor that he could provide himself 
with only a sword and a shield. Finally an opportunity was 
offered him to gratify his ambition, and he went to Peru 
where he acquired much wealth from the Indians. Then the 
King of Spain made him governor of Cuba and afterwards of 
Florida. 

After Ponce de Leon discovered Florida, many Spaniards 

visited that region and heard 
from the Indians stories of 
great gold and silver mines 
in the regions to the west. 
De Soto, hoping to find these 
mines and the famous " foun- 
tain of youth," for which 
Ponce de Leon had searched 
in vain, determined to ex- 
plore this wonderful land. 
Six hundred men joined him, 
and, in 1539, they sailed for 
Florida, landing near Tampa 
Bay on the western coast of 
Florida. De Soto's plan was to go through the country wherever 
he heard there were gold and silver and precious jewels to be 
found. He met in Florida a Spaniard, John Ortez, who had 
been seized by the Indians some years before. Ortez had learned 
the Indian language, and De Soto took him as a guide to talk 
with the Indians and to hear their marvelous stories. The In- 
dians spoke all the time of great gold mines in the north, so De 
Soto went in that direction. He crossed parts of Georgia, Ala- 
bama and Mississippi. The country was filled with marshes, and 
often his followers stuck fast in the mud. There were no roads, 
and he had to follow the paths made by the Indians, At times 



hf\-\J 


t 


/I _--*-■*: ^ 




ys~--- 




\"\{ A 


• /-^Y/ 


t\ .•"Athens! N. f 
Wot,, 1 \rf/^ 


N \^ % knttchez 


MftgsttT" 






iw Orleans"' 


N. 1 \ * 5SE 


y 




iff^pA. r 


/ 






1 







THE LONG MARCH OF DE SOTO. 



PONXE DE LEON. BALBOA. DE SOTO. 4 1 

there was little food, but De Soto pushed on. Whenever he 
came upon an Indian settlement, he took from the Indians corn 
and other provisions. 

At first the Indians were friendly, but De Soto treated them 
cruelly. He made many of them slaves, and often compelled 
Indian chiefs to bear upon their backs great sacks of corn for his 
men. The Indians would probably, have killed De Soto and his 
followers ; but, never having seen white men before, they feared 
the Spaniards, believing that they were gods. 

After many months of weary travel, during which they found 
no treasure, De Soto and his followers finally reached a great, 
broad river. They inquired of the Indians its name, and they 
were told that it was the Mississippi, which is an Indian word 
for " Father of Waters." No white man had ever before seen 
this great river. De Soto first saw it near the present site of the 
city of Memphis in Tennessee. 

De Soto still believed the Indian stories about gold, so he 
built boats, crossed the Mississippi and went farther west. He 
passed into Missouri and Arkansas, but not finding the riches 
for which he had so eagerly sought, he turned back and again 
reached the Mississippi near where the city of Natchez now 
stands. 

De Soto was only forty-six years of age, but the long journey 
and the disappointment at not finding the great gold mines, had 
so preyed upon him that he fell sick and died (1542). 

The Indians believed that De Soto was a god, and that he 
could not die ; so his followers became frightened for fear that 
the Indians would learn of the death of their leader. If they 
learned of his death, they would know that the Spaniards were 
not gods and would kill them all. Therefore, De Soto's com- 
panions decided to bury him secretly. They were afraid to make a 
grave in the woods, because the Indians would discover it; so 
they tied rocks to the body, and then, in the dead of night, they 



42 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



dropped it into the Mississippi River. Thus the discoverer of the 
great river was buried in its waters. 

De Soto's followers built two small boats and descended the 
Mississippi River to its mouth. They crossed the gulf of Mexico 




From a pai7iting by Powell. 

DE SOTO DISCOVERS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 

and reached the Spanish settlement in Mexico. More than half 
of them perished on the journey. 

Though De Soto's expedition failed in its purpose of securing 
gold, it taught the Spaniards that the New World was of 



Geography Study. Map of North America. Find Porto Rico, 
Haiti, Florida, Caribbee Islands, Cuba, Isthmus of Panama, Darien and 
the Pacific Ocean. Map of the United States. Find Tampa Bay, 



PONCE DE LEON. BALBOA. DE SOTO. 43 

Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Memphis 
and Natchez. Trace the course of the Mississippi River. 

Review Questions. What was Ponce de Leon's connection with 
Columbus ? How did he distinguish himself ? What island did he want 
to conquer ? Tell of his conduct in Porto Rico. What story did he 
hear in Porto Rico? Tell of his trip to Florida. How was he received in 
Spain? Tell of his death and the inscription on his tomb. 

Tell of the early life of Balboa. How did he get to Darien ? Why 
did he think of crossing the mountains and looking for a great ocean? 
Tell of the discovery of the Pacific. What was Balboa's fate? 

Tell something of De Soto's early life. Why did De Soto go to Florida ? 
Tell of his journey and the great river which he discovered. How did he 
treat the Indians ? Tell of De Soto's death and burial. What became of 
his followers ? 





Walter Raleigh 



1552-1618. 



The Spaniards continued the explorations begun by Balboa, 
Ponce de Leon and de Soto, and in 1565 built St. Augustine, 
Florida, which was the first town permanently established within 
the present limits of the United States. During this time the 
English had been inactive and had made no attempt to colonize 
North America ; yet the English claimed the greater part of the 
continent, because of the discoveries of the Cabots. This claim, 
however, would have profited England little, if colonies had not 
been planted. To Sir Walter Raleigh (Ra'li) is due the credit of 
having aroused the English to the necessity of making settlements. 

Raleigh was born about 1552, in southern England. His 
family was very prominent, being related to many of the English 
nobility. At fifteen, he attended the University of Oxford, 
and while there he was regarded as a brilliant young man and 
he took a high stand, both as a student and as an orator. As 
was the case with many of the English gentlemen of that day, 
Raleigh soon became a soldier. He assisted in putting down an 
Irish rebellion, and for his services he was granted large estates 
in Ireland. Raleigh hated Spain, and it grieved him to see how 
rich she was growing by her commerce with the New World. He 



WALTER RALEIGH. 



45 



was therefore anxious to plant an English settlement In America, 
hoping by this means to increase the power of England and to 
prevent Spain from acquiring the whole of that continent. 

When a young man, Raleigh was received at the court of 
Queen Elizabeth. He was commanding in appearance, tall and 
handsome, and elegant in his manners. His clothes were made 
of gorgeous velvets, silk and satins, and were embroidered with 
gold. He wore diamonds and 
precious stones, which were worth 
as much as twenty thousand dol- 
lars. Elizabeth's court was -one 
of great magnificence. Raleigh 
was much admired by the queen 
because of his fine clothes and 
graceful manners, and he, in re- 
turn for her favor, was ever ready 
to serve her. On one occasion, 
while walking in her garden, she 
came to a place which the rains 
had made muddy. Raleigh at 
once spread upon the ground his 
beautiful new plush cloak upon 
which the queen trod without 
soiling her dainty slippers. The 
queen did not forget this act of gallantry, and afterwards rewarded 
him with many gifts and honors. She made him a knight, and 
that is why he is called Sir Walter Raleigh. 

Raleigh had a half brother, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, who was a 
great seaman. Sir Humphrey obtained from the queen permis- 
sion to plant a settlement in North America, and made an unsuc- 
cessful attempt to colonize Newfoundland. As he was returning 
from Newfoundland to England, a great storm arose and all but 
one of the ships were destroyed. The vessel on which Gilbert 




QUEEN ELIZABETH 



4 6 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



sailed was lost and Gilbert was drowned. The sailors of the ship 
that stood the storm reported that, just before Gilbert's ship went 
down, he was seen sitting on deck with a book in his hand, and 
above the roar of the storm, he was heard to say to the sailors, 



" Be of good cheer, my friends. 
sea as by land." 

After the death of Gilbert, 



We are as near to Heaven by 




Raleigh took up the scheme of 
colonizing the New World. In 
1584, he received a charter 
from the queen granting him 
the right to make a settlement, 
and he sent ships to explore 
the country. The sailors, on 
their return, reported that its 
soil was very fertile, the cli- 
mate mild, and the Indians 
friendly. In honor of Eliza- 
beth, the Virgin Queen, all of 
the lands from Maine to Flori- 
da received the name Virginia. 
In 1585, Raleigh sent over 
the first colony, consisting of 
one hundred persons, with 
Ralph Lane as governor, and a 
settlement was made at Roa- 
noke (Ro-a-nok') Island upon the coast of the present State of North 
Carolina. The colony did not prosper, as the men were lazy and 
by their cruelty made enemies of the Indians. It is probable that 
the colony would have perished from starvation but for the timely 
arrival of Sir Francis Drake. Drake had been plundering Spanish 
vessels in the West Indies, and came by Roanoke Island to see 
how Raleigh's colony was succeeding. The settlers were in such 
a pitiable condition that he took them back to England. 



THE SITE OF THE FIRST COLONIES 



WALTER RALEIGH. 



47 



From these colonists the 
English became familiar with 
three things, — Indian corn, 
white potatoes and tobacco. 
Raleigh planted some of the 
white potatoes on his farm 
in Ireland ; soon they came to 
be used by all the Irish, and 
to-day they are the principal 
food of the Irish people. For 
this reason, the white potatoes 
are usually called Irish pota- 
toes. Raleigh learned to 
smoke tobacco and taught the 
English people how to use it. 
One day, when Raleigh was 
smoking, a servant entered his 
room with a pitcher of ale. 
The servant had never seen 
any one smoking before, and 
on seeing smoke coming from 




THE STONE MARKING THE SITE 
FORT RALEIGH. 



Raleigh's mouth, he at once 
thought that his master was 
on fire. To save his master 
from burning up he threw the 
ale on Raleigh, and rushed 
out of the room shouting that 
his master was afire. 

The failure of Raleigh's 
first colony did not discourage 
him. He knew that the English 
must occupy North America, so in 1587 he sent out a second 
colony. John White was appointed governor. White took with 



INSCRIPTION. 

On this site in July-August, 1585 (O. S.), 
colonists, sent out from England by Sir 
Walter Raleigh, built a fort, called by them 
" The New Fort in Virginia." 

These colonists were the first settlers of 
the English race in America. They re- 
turned to England in July, 1586, with Sir 
Francis Drake. 

Near this place was born, on the 18th of 
August, 1587, Virginia Dare, the first child 
of English parents born in America — 
daughter of Ananias Dare and Eleanor 
White, his wife, members of another band 
of colonists, sent out by Sir Walter Raleigh 
in 1587. 

On Sunday, August 20, 1587, Virginia 
Dare was baptized. Manteo, the friendly 
chief of the Hatteras Indians, had been 
baptized on the Sunday preceding. These 
baptisms are the first, known celebrations of 
a Christian sacrament in the territory of the 
thirteen original United States. 



48 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

him his daughter, who had married a Mr. Dare. The settlers 
landed at Roanoke Island, and set to work to rebuild the houses 
which had been occupied by the first colonists. Soon after they 
landed, a little girl was born to the Dares, the first English child 
born in America. In honor of the country the child was called 
Virginia. 

After a short while Governor White returned to England 
to get supplies for the new colony. Hardly had he reached 
home before England and Spain were at war. To subdue the 
English, King Philip of Spain had sent a great fleet, called the 
Spanish Armada. The English were so aroused that they had no 
time to consider the little colony at Roanoke, and White was not 
able to go back until the war was over. When this fleet had 
been defeated, Raleigh sent supplies at once to the new colony ; 
but when Roanoke Island was reached, not a trace of the settle- 
ment could be found. Where were the colonists ? Some thought 
that they had all died there, but no graves were discovered. 
Others believed that they had moved away, but no trace of them 
could be found. Only the one word Croatan was written on a 
tree. Croatan was the name of an Indian tribe in North Carolina, 
so we now think that the few settlers who survived were carried 
off by these Indians. Nobody really knows what became of this 
settlement, which is known in history as " the lost colony of 
Roanoke." 

Raleigh never tried again to colonize Virginia, but he always 
believed that the English ought to occupy the country, and 
he lived long enough to see a permanent English settlement 
at Jamestown. 

Soon after the failure of Raleigh's colonies,, he fell into dis- 
grace. He secretly married one of the maids of Queen Elizabeth, 
and this so angered the queen that she never really forgave him, 
though she was ever afterwards kind to him. When James I. 
became king, Raleigh was accused of plotting with the Spaniards 



WALTER RALEIGH. 



49 



to drive James from the throne. He was tried, and, though there 
was no clear proof that he was guilty, he was condemned to 
death. For fourteen years he was kept in prison, and was then 
finally executed. 

Raleigh's death was very touching. When Raleigh was led out 
to die, many of his 
friends were present. 
He turned to them, 
and in a speech of great 
feeling declared that 
he was not guilty of 
treason. As his friends 
were slow to leave 
him, Raleigh gently 
dismissed them by say- 
ing, " I have a long 
journey to make; 
therefore, I must take 
my leave of you." 
When they had de- 
parted, he turned to 
the headsman and 
asked to see the axe. 
The headsman hesi- 
tated, but Raleigh 
said, " Let me see it. 
Dost thou think that I 
am afraid of it ? " He 

passed his fingers across the sharp blade and said, " Tis a sharp 
medicine, but one that will cure all of my diseases." He then 
said to the executioner : " When I stretch forth my hands, dis- 
patch me." Laying his head on the block with his face to the 
east, he stretched forth his hands, but the headsman was so un- 









f ^ - 

n - 


n 




. ..? 


Wk 


s 


,--::^*te,4tfs* 


'- ^\" t? 


- 


k 




J**M 


r : ™ 












* L Mr Mr -^ ^^ 

' t \ 




9 


?-■ ^&^B&rM& -p© 


■ 1 , 




£p ^JSip-*- -• js ;■*>. W^r 











ON THE MORNING OF SIR WALTER RALEIGH S 
EXECUTION. 



50 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

nerved that he could not strike. Again Raleigh stretched out 
his hands, but the executioner did not move. Then Raleigh cried 
out, " What dost thou fear ? Strike, man, strike." The execu- 
tioner at last raised the axe, and at one blow struck the head from 
the body. Thus died Sir Walter Raleigh, at the age of sixty-six. 
He had done much for England. Here in America, we should 
never forget him, for it was he who first tried to plant an English 
colony on American soil. In the state where his efforts were 
chiefly made the people love to honor his memory, and the 
North Carolinians call their capital by his name, Raleigh. 

Geography Study. Map of North America. Find Florida, St. 
Augustine, Newfoundland, Virginia, North Carolina and Roanoke Island. 
How far is it from England to North Carolina? 

Review Questions. What was the first permanent settlement 
within the limits of the United States? Why did Raleigh want an English 
colony in America? Tell of Raleigh's early life. How did Raleigh gain 
the favor of Queen Elizabeth? What did Gilbert do? Tell of Gilbert's 
death. How did Virginia get its name? Tell of Raleigh's first colony. 
What was its fate? Tell of the planting of the second colony. Who was 
the first English child born in America? What was the Spanish Armada? 
Tell why the second colony was neglected. What became of the second 
colony? Why was Raleigh imprisoned? Tell of his execution. Write a 
composition telling what you think of Raleigh. 





CHAPTER VI. 

John Smith. 

1579-1631. 

Twenty years after the failure of Raleigh's colon)', the first 
permanent English settlement was made in Virginia. The soul 
of the enterprise was Captain John Smith. He was born in 1579 
in the County of Lincoln in England. When a mere boy, he 
showed great love for adventure. At thirteen, he left school, and 
sold his satchel and books and what other property he had, with 
the idea of going to sea. But just at this time his parents died, 
and his guardian put him into a bank, hoping to make a business 
man of him. This life proved too quiet for Smith, so in a 
little while he gave up his work and went traveling in Europe. 

Smith desired to be a soldier, and in order that he might pre- 
pare for such a life, he used daily to go into the woods, and prac- 
tice shooting with his pistol. He also became very skillful with 
the sword and spear. 

Anxious to have experience in war, Smith determined to go 
to fight the Turks, who at that time were engaged in war with 



52 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



the German people living in Austria. On his way to join the 
German army he met with many adventures. In crossing the 
English Channel, he was robbed of his money. After other ad- 
ventures in France he set sail for Italy. On board the vessel 
were a number of persons going on a pilgrimage to Rome, and 
when a violent storm came up, these pilgrims thought that 
it was sent by God because there was a wicked passenger on 
board. Smith, being a stranger, was selected as the cause of the 

storm, and was, therefore, thrown 
overboard into the Mediterranean 
Sea ; but he swam to the shore, 
which was near by. 

He then went to Austria, 
joined the German army, and 
proved himself a brave and dar- 
ing soldier. One day when the 
Germans were besieging a town 
held by the Turks, a Turkish lord 
challenged to single combat any 
warrior who would fight him. 
Smith was selected to meet the 
Turk. Both appeared on the field 
of battle on horseback, and at the 
sound of the trumpet they rushed 
swiftly together. Smith directed 
his lance so that the point entered the eye of his Turkish oppo- 
nent, who fell dead from his horse, while Smith escaped without 
a wound. He cut off the head of his antagonist and bore it in 
triumph to the Christian army. He fought with two other Turks 
in single combat, and killed them also. Smith, in memory of 
this event, placed upon his coat of arms three Turks' heads. 

Not long after this, in a battle between the Turks and the 
Christians, Smith was taken prisoner, and was sold into slavery. 




JAMES I. 



JOHN SMITH. 53 

He was bought by a Turkish woman of noble family, who fell in 
love with him. Fearing that some harm might befall him, she 
sent him to her brother, a nobleman who lived near the Sea of 
Azof. He treated Smith very cruelly. One day Smith was sent 
to thresh wheat in one of the nobleman's barns. While he was 
at work, the owner came in and cursed him, which so enraged 
Smith that he beat out the man's brains with his threshing flail. 
Then Smith put on the clothes of his dead master, and made 
his escape into Russia. He then determined to return home, 
and finally reached England in 1604. 

On his return to his native land, Smith found that the merchants 
of England were anxious to plant a colony in Virginia, which 
was said to be a land of great fertility and wealth. Its beauty 
was unsurpassed, and in its forests were found birds of gorgeous 
plumage. According to report, gold and silver were so plentiful 
that all sorts of cooking utensils were made of them, and the 
native children, with strings of diamonds around their necks, were 
to be found playing in the great unexplored forests. The English 
people longed for this wealth, and they also thought that the 
Indians ought to be converted to Christianity. Therefore, some 
of the leading merchants of England organized a great trading 
company to make settlements in Virginia, and in 1606 applied to 
King James I. for a charter, which was granted to two companies, 
known as the London and Plymouth companies. 

The London Company at once prepared to send out a col- 
ony. Three small vessels, the Susan Constant, the God Speed 
and the Discovery, were fitted out and a small band of men sent 
over. The adventurous spirit of Smith caused him to join the 
Company, and sail for Virginia. Hardly had the vessels left 
London and got to sea, before the settlers began to quarrel among 
themselves. Smith was accused of mutiny, arrested, and carried 
a prisoner to Virginia. In April, 1607, the mouth of Chesapeake 
Bay was reached, and the ships sailed up into a river which they 



54 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



called the James. The colonists went ashore, and were pleased 
with the fertile soil, the beautiful flowers, and the trees of cedar 
and cypress. A writer of the times said : " We came to a little 
plot of ground full of beautiful strawberries four times bigger 
and better than ours in England." 

Farther up the river, about forty miles from its mouth, the 
ships anchored at a small peninsula (now an island), where the 




From a painting by Chapman. 

THE LANDING OF SETTLERS AT JAMESTOWN. 



men landed on the 13th of May, 1607, and' began the first per- 
manent English settlement in America. This settlement was 
called Jamestown in honor of James I., King of England. Here, 
not three hundred years ago, began the history of the United 
States, which is now one of the greatest nations of the world. 
Our great country to-day has eighty millions of people, but the 
first colony at Jamestown contained only one hundred and five 
settlers. 



JOHN SMITH, 



55 



Edward Maria Wingfield was made president of the colony. 
He was a lazy man, who thought only of his own gains and his 
own comforts. According to the plan adopted, the settlers were 
to live together as one great family, putting into one common 
storehouse all they made, and receiving from it all that they ate. 
Wingfield, however, took for himself all the good flour and meat, 
and distributed among the colonists the grain which contained 
worms. The settlers had no houses at first, and Smith, who was 
a " happy-go-lucky " fellow, said 
that their homes were " castles in 
the air." 

As you remember, when the 
colonists landed at Jamestown, 
Smith was a prisoner ; but he at 
once demanded a trial", at which it 
was shown that he was not guilty. 
From this time Smith was the real 
ruler of the colony, and more than 
once he saved it from being de- 
stroyed by the Indians or by hun- 
ger. Through his boldness and 
resolution, the lazy were forced to 
work, and food was secured from 
the Indians. 

Even in 1607 the people of England knew so little about the 
size of America that they thought Asia could be reached by sail- 
ing up one of our rivers. King James had instructed the colonists 
on leaving England to make a search for a northwest passage 
to Asia ; so Smith with several companions went up the James 
River, looking for the outlet to the Pacific Ocean. They 
reached the Falls where Richmond now stands, and then turned 
back. On another occasion Smith went up the Chickahominy 
River and was taken prisoner by the Indians. They were about 




From an old print. 

POCAHONTAS. 



56 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

to kill him, when he showed them a pocket compass and called 
their attention to the needle which always pointed north and 
south. He was then taken to the Indian chief, who was called 
Powhatan. When Smith was brought into his presence, Powha- 
tan was seated upon a throne, clothed in a garment of raccoon 
skins. Two of his daughters sat by his side. Their heads and 
shoulders were painted red, and around their necks were strings 
of white beads. 

Powhatan consulted with his warriors, and it was decided that 
Smith should be put to death. Two large stones were brought 
in and placed before Powhatan. Smith was seized and his head 
was placed upon them, and a warrior advanced with a raised club 
ready to beat out his brains. Then it was that Pocahontas, a 
child thirteen years of age, the favorite daughter of Powha- 
tan, rushed forward and, taking Smith's head in her arms, begged 
for his life. After much entreaty, Powhatan spared Smith's life 
on the condition that he was to make beads and toys for the 
little Pocahontas. 

Soon after this, Smith returned to Jamestown. When he 
arrived, he found the colony almost on the point of perishing for 
want of food. At once he put the men to work, restored order, 
and secured food from the Indians. Little Pocahontas was 
always a friend to the whites, and time and again she sent Smith 
venison and corn. Some five years later she became a Christian 
and was married to John Rolfe, one of the English settlers. 

Smith was the only man who had the right idea about colo- 
nizing Virginia. He wrote to the London Company to send over 
settlers who would work, and not men who had spent their 
money in " riotous living" and who would come to Virginia only 
with the hope of picking up gold along the river banks. The 
London Company would not listen to Smith, but ordered the 
colonists to search for gold, and soon it was reported that great 
quantities had been found. The colonists became crazed with 



JOHN SMITH. 



57 



the thought of great wealth, and Smith said that there was " no 
talk, no hope, no work, but dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, 
load gold." Captain Newport had come over from England and 
brought gold refiners who said that the dirt contained gold, but 
Smith still insisted that it was worthless sand. A shipload of 
yellow dirt was actually sent to England, and it contained no 
gold, just as Smith had pre- 
dicted. 

Smith explored the Chesa- 
peake Bay, the York, Potomac 
and Rappahannock rivers, and 
made a map of the Bay and 
the surrounding country, which 
was very accurate. When he 
returned to Jamestown from 
this trip, he found that many 
of the settlers had rebelled. 
Even RatclirTe, who at this 
time was president, was made 
a prisoner for mutiny. Smith 
was at once elected president 
by the settlers. For a year he 
served as ruler, and showed 
himself wise and capable. He 
forced all to work and he 

protected Jamestown from the Indians, who were constantly 
trying to destroy the place. New settlers came over, and Smith 
insisted that they should work crops, such as corn and wheat, 
and that the company should make its wealth, not by searching 
for gold/but by farming and by trading with the Indians. Along 
the James River several small settlements were made, one of 
them being- near where Richmond now stands. The Indians 
made complaint against this settlement to Smith, claiming that 




ALL THAT NOW REMAINS OF THE SETTLE- 
MENT AT JAMESTOWN. 



58 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



^.CHESAPEAKE BAY 



the whites had stolen their corn, and enslaved some of their 
people. Smith went up the river to quiet the disturbances, with 
the hope of keeping peace between the whites and the Indians, 
but his efforts were fruitless. 

As he was returning in his boat to Jamestown, a bag of gun- 
powder exploded and burned him seriously. He leaped over- 
board to put out the flames, and came near being drowned before 

his companions could rescue him. 
Badly injured, he was taken to James- 
town. As soon as the settlers saw 
his helpless condition, they refused to 
obey his orders. He then gave up 
the government of the colony and re- 
turned to England in the autumn of 
1609. 

The colony of Virginia had now 

existed for two years. When Smith 

left it, there were four hundred and 

ninety settlers. Through his influence 

the colony had been put upon the 

road to prosperity, but as soon as he 

was gone everything went to rack and 

ruin. The settlement was about to be 

abandoned, but the London Company saw the necessity of strong 

government and sent over, as governor, Lord Delaware, who 

arrived just in time to save the colony. 

As soon as Delaware took the reins of government, Virginia 
began to prosper, and in a few years the colonists were raising 
tobacco for shipment to England. From this time to the Revo- 
lution great quantities of tobacco were sent to England, and 
Virginia became the wealthiest and largest of the American 
colonies. 

After Smith left Virginia, he was made " Admiral of New 




/Cape Charles 
Pt Comfort 

Cape Henry 



JOHN SMITH. 59 

England," and explored the shores of New England, but he 
never again visited the colony of Virginia. He spent the 
remainder of his life in England, dying at the age of fifty-two. 

Smith was a brave and good man ; but for him the first 
American colony would have been totally destroyed, and it may 
be that the whole of the history of our great nation would have 
been different. If the Jamestown colony had been abandoned 
in those early days, the English might never have settled per- 
manently in America. Let us, then, honor Smith because he 
saved the colony of Virginia. 

Geography Study. Map of Europe. Find Austria, the English 
Channel, Rome and the Sea of Azof. Map of Virginia. Find Chesa- 
peake Bay, James River, Chickahominy River, Jamestown, Richmond, 
Potomac River, Rappahannock River and York River. How long is 
Chesapeake Bay ? How far is it from Richmond to the mouth of James 
River ? 

Review Questions. What kind of boy was Smith ? . Tell of his 
adventures on his way to fight the Turks. Tell of his fight with the Turks. 
How did Smith become a slave ? Tell of his escape and return to Eng- 
land. Why did the English want to plant a colony in Virginia ? What 
was the London Company ? What three ships were sent out ? Tell of 
the arrival of Smith and the colonists in Virginia. Where was the first 
settlement made ? Why did the colony get on so badly ? How did 
Smith save the colony from dying of hunger ? How did Smith come to 
find the falls in James River ? Tell of Smith as a prisoner before Pow- 
hatan. Tell what you know of Pocahontas. Give an account of the 
search for gold. Tell of -Smith's explorations. Why was Smith elected 
president ? Tell of his rule. How was he injured ? Tell of the Vir- 
ginia colony after Smith left it. Why should we honor Smith ? Write a 
composition telling what you think of Smith as a man. 







laking a Clearing at Plymouth. 

CHAPTER VII. 



William Bradford and John Winthrop, 



1588-1657. 



1588-1649. 



The settlement at Jamestown was the first English colony to 
be permanently established in America. The second English 
colony in America was at Plymouth. It was for seventy years a 
separate and distinct colony, but then it was joined to Massa- 
chusetts, and is to-day a part of that state. Virginia, as you 
remember, was settled by a company whose aim it was to acquire 
wealth. The Plymouth colony was planted, not by a company, 
but by a number of individuals who wished to live where they 
might worship God according to their own views. 

In the days of Queen Elizabeth, England had an established 
church, just as it has to-day, which was upheld and supported 
by the government. The laws of the kingdom caused any one 
who refused to accept the religion of the established church to be 
imprisoned or otherwise punished. In the little town of Scrooby 
there lived a number of people who refused to worship God 
according to the doctrines of the state church, and they with- 
drew from it ; hence they were called Separatists. By order of 
Queen Elizabeth, the Separatists of Scrooby were imprisoned, 






WILLIAM BRADFORD AND JOHN WINTHROP. 6l 

but they were afterwards released on condition that they would 
live peaceably at. their homes. 

When James I. became King of England, he treated the 
Separatists very harshly, so they at once left England and went 
to Holland, where they would not be interfered with in then- 
worship of God. 

Among the Separatists was William Bradford, at that time 
only eighteen years old. He was well educated in Latin and 
Greek, and was a great student of the Bible. His learning soon 
made him a leader among the Separatists in Holland. 

After living for some time in Holland, the Separatists desired 
to leave that country, because if they remained there, their 
children would learn the Dutch language and become foreigners. 
In spite of the fact that they had been so cruelly treated in 
England, they still loved their native land and their own 
language, and wished to be English subjects. Having heard of 
the new colony that had been planted in Virginia, they applied 
to the London Company for permission to settle there. After 
several refusals their request was granted. The Separatists, who 
now called themselves " The Pilgrims " because of their many 
wanderings, secured a small vessel, the Speedwell, to carry them 
to Virginia. This vessel was joined by the Mayflower, but 
hardly had the voyage begun, when the Speedwell began to leak, 
and had to be sent back ; so the Mayflower undertook the voyage 
alone. There were on board one hundred men, women and 
children, and among the number was Bradford. 

After a stormy voyage of two months, the coast of New 
England was reached. At times it had seemed that the little 
Mayflower would be swallowed up in the great waves of the ocean, 
but God watched over the Pilgrims and brought them safely to 

land. 

Bradford was in many respects the leading man among the 
Pilgrims; but when they landed in America, they elected John 



62 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



Carver as their governor, because they considered Bradford too 
young for such a responsible position. Before landing, they 
signed an agreement known as the Mayflower Compact. By this 
•agreement a free government was established in which every 
man was to take part. On the twenty-first day of December, 
1620, the landing was made at a place which the Pilgrims called 
Plymouth. Here the first colony in New England was planted. 







From a paint in. 



THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS. 



It had been the purpose of the Pilgrims to settle in Virginia, but 
the terrible storms had driven them too far north. 

The colony was begun under trying circumstances. Winter 
was coming on, food was scarce, and the Indians were not to be 
trusted. But the Pilgrims went to work with energy ; they 
built houses, and felled the forests, so that crops could be 
planted in the spring. On account of the severe climate many 
died; one of these was Governor Carver. At once young 
Bradford was elected governor, and for thirty-one years he 



WILLIAM BRADFORD AND JOHN WINTHROP. 63 

continued to be reelected. During his governorship he directed 
the colony wisely, and successfully avoided a war with the 
Indians. Among the Pilgrims was an old soldier, Miles Standish, 
and into his hands Bradford entrusted the little army of the 
colony. At first his army numbered only twelve men, but with 
their guns they frightened away the Indians, who had nothing 
but bows and arrows. Some of the neighboring Indians were 
hostile and sent a bundle of arrows tied with a snake's skin. 
This was a challenge to war. Captain Standish boldly received 
it, and sent back the snake's skin filled with bullets, and thus 
by his boldness prevented the Indians from attacking the Pil- 
grims. 

In 1657 Bradford died. The colony was then in a prosperous 
condition, and had a population of more than five thousand. 

When the Pilgrims came to New England, there were then in 
England many members of the established church who were 
opposed to the ceremonies and services of that church. These 
people, however, had never separated themselves from the 
English church as the Pilgrims had done, but they were con- 
stantly trying to change the services — to purify them — and for 
that reason they were called Puritans. In a little while they 
were persecuted for their religious beliefs. Like the Pilgrims, 
the Puritans turned their eyes to America, where they also 
might secure homes, and worship God according to their own 
religious beliefs. 

In 1628 John Endicott came from England, and made a 
settlement at Salem, not far north of Plymouth. In a few 
months other settlers came and established two more towns, — one 
called Charlestown, and another, Boston. In 1630 John Win- 
throp came to New England with a great number of settlers. At 
the time that he reached New England, he was about forty 
years old, and for the next nineteen years he was the leader of 
the colony that had Boston as its center. This colony was 



6 4 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



then known as Massachusetts Bay, but after a short while it was 
called simply Massachusetts. 

- Winthrop had a good home in England, and, of course, he 
disliked to leave it ; but he believed that he ought to be allowed 
to serve God in his own way. Therefore he was willing to give 
up his home and friends in England for the sake of his conscience. 
When he first came to Massachusetts, he left his wife in England 
until he could build a home for her. When he had everything 

in readiness, he sent for her, and she 
came over to join her beloved husband. 
In those days few articles could be 
bought in America. People wore the 
coarsest sort of clothes, made often 
from the skins of animals ; so we find 
Winthrop writing to his wife telling her 
to come well furnished with linen and 
woolen goods, sheets, and pots and 
kettles for the kitchen. He wrote : 
" Be sure to be warm clothed and to 
have store of fresh provisions : meal, 
eggs, butter, oatmeal, peas and fruits. 
Thou must be sure to bring no more 
company than so many as shall have full provision for one year 
and a half, for, though the earth here be very fertile, there must 
be time and means to raise it." 

In a little while Winthrop showed what could be made of 
Massachusetts. Under his directions the settlements of Charles- 
town, Newton, Roxbury and Boston were built up. The people 
caught fish and sent them to Europe to be sold. They raised 
their own food and made their own clothes and house furnishings. 
Massachusetts thus became one of the thriftiest of the American 
colonies, and at the time of Winthrop's death (1649) had a popu- 
lation of forty thousand. 









£ 


















9i?F ' 






. 








■f&- 


2 
















■*&& 













GOVERNOR WINTHROP. 



WILLIAM BRADFORD AND JOHN WINTHROP. 



65 



Though Winthrop was an earnest and sincere man, and wanted 
to worship God according to his own belief, he was unwilling that 
persons holding different re- 
ligious views from his own 
should settle in Massachu- 
setts. All the settlers were 
required to worship as the 
Puritans did ; and such as did 
not, were sent out of the 
colony. 

Some Quakers came to 
Massachusetts and were sent 
away, but shortly afterwards 
some of them returned to 
Boston, and were at once 
seized, tried and hanged. The 
King of England was angry 
with the colony of Massa- 
chusetts on account of this 
cruelty, but the stern old 
Puritans paid little attention 
to the English king. In after 

years Massachusetts resisted the English government on ques- 
tions of taxation and other things, and joined with Virginia and 
the other American colonies in the Revolutionary War which 
gave us our independence from England. 

Geography Study. Map of Europe. Find England and Holland. 
How far is it from England to Holland ? Map of New England. Find 
Plymouth, Salem, Boston, Charlestown and Roxbury. How far is it from 
Plymouth to Virginia ? 

Review Questions. What were the first and second English col- 
onies in America ? Who were the Separatists ? Why were they called 




WHERE THE PILGRIMS AND THE PURITANS 
SETTLED. 



66 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



Pilgrims ? Tell of the Pilgrims in Holland. Where did they wish to set- 
tle ? Tell of their experiences in coming to America. Why did they not 
settle in Virginia ? Who was the first governor of Plymouth ? Qive some 
account of Bradford. Who was Miles Standish ? Tell of his army and 
the Indian challenge. How did the Plymouth colony succeed under 
Bradford ? Who were the Puritans ? Who settled Salem ? What other 
towns were settled ? Tell of the coming of Winthrop. Why did Winthrop 
leave England ? What did he write his wife ? Tell of the growth of 
Massachusetts. How did the Puritans treat the Quakers ? Write a com- 
position on the Puritans. 





CHAPTER VIII. 



Roger Williams and Thomas Hooker, 



1599-1683. 



1586-1647. 



WlNTHROP and the Puritans did not wish to have any set- 
tlers in Massachusetts who did not agree with them. Into 
the colony came two preachers, good and conscientious men, but 
men who did not have the same ideas as Winthrop. One of 
these preachers, Roger Williams, was forced to leave the colony, 
and the other, Thomas Hooker, departed without waiting for 
Winthrop to drive him out. 

Of the early life of Roger Williams, we know little. It is 
said that he was born in Wales. His parents belonged to the 
middle class, but they gave their boy an education and he was 
graduated from Oxford University. When a very young man, 
he became a Christian and decided to preach. He led a life 
of piety and virtue, and all who knew him respected him. At 
first he was a preacher in the established church of England, but 
soon joined the Puritans. Later he came to New England, where 
he thought that he could preach according to his own con- 
victions, and where he hoped to convert the Indians. 

A few weeks after reaching Massachusetts Roger Williams 
became the assistant pastor of the church at Salem. He soon 



68 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



offended Winthrop and the officials of Massachusetts because he 
said that a man should not be punished for refusing to go to 
church on Sunday. According to the laws of the Puritans 
every citizen was to attend church on Sunday, and if he 
failed to do so, he was fined ; and if he still refused to 
perform his religious duty, he was imprisoned. Williams be- 
lieved that this was wrong, and that the question of going to 
church was to be decided by a man's own conscience. You know, 

this is what we believe to-day, 
but two hundred and fifty years 
ago people were not so liberal 
as they are now. Williams was 
far ahead of his day, and he was 
too broad and liberal to live in 
a Puritan community. 

After a little while Williams 
left Salem and went to Ply- 
mouth, to live with the Pil- 
grims, who were more liberal 
than their neighbors of Massa- 
chusetts. Governor Bradford of 
Plymouth said that Williams did 
great good among his people. 
After a short stay in Plymouth, 
Williams returned to Salem, 
where he became pastor of the church. 

He continued to preach that a man ought to be allowed 
to worship God according to his own conscience, and to decide 
how he should conduct himself on Sunday without inter- 
ference from the state. Moreover, he held that the colonists 
should not take the land from the Indians without buying it, 
and that, since America belonged to the Indians, King James 
had no right to grant it to anybody. The magistrates warned 




THE FIRST CHURCH AT SALEM, WHERE 
WILLIAMS PREACHED. 

Built in 1634 and still standing. 



ROGER WILLIAMS AND THOMAS HOOKER. 69 

Williams, but he still held to his views ; then Winthrop called a 
general meeting of the people of Massachusetts to consider 
Williams's case. He was not even given a trial, and no witness 
appeared against him ; but on the general report which was 
circulated about his preaching, it was decided that he should be 
sent out of the colony. It was a custom among the Puritans to 
send all objectionable persons back to England, and this they 
intended to do with Williams. Officers were sent to his house to 
seize him, and to put him on board a ship bound for England. 
At his home, however, they found only his wife and children, for 
he had already been gone three days. It was in the dead of 
winter when Williams went out from his home in exile. Know- 
ing the purpose of the Puritans, he fled from Salem to avoid 
being sent back to England. 

Think of this true and sincere man as he wandered south from 
Boston through the forests! He was without companions, and 
there was no place of refuge for him in the bitter cold weather. 
He afterwards said, " I was sorely tossed for fourteen weeks in 
the winter season, not knowing what bread or bed did mean." 
Sometimes he hid in the hollow of a tree, where he could hear 
around him the howl of the wolves and panthers which at 
that time roamed through the forests of New England. 

While at Salem, Williams had seen much of the Indians, had 
learned their language and had made many friends among them. 
As soon as he could, he went to the home of Massassoit, an 
Indian chief of the tribe of the Pokanokets, or Wompanoags. 
Massassoit received him with great kindness and granted him a 
tract of land. When spring came, Williams was joined by some 
friends from Salem, who held to the same religious beliefs that he 
did. The land that Williams secured from the Indians was on 
the borders of the Plymouth colony, and just as he was about 
to build a home for himself and his friends, he received a letter 
from the governor of Plymouth asking him to move farther 



70 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

south. Williams felt that his own people were treating him 
cruelly, but at once he determined to go deeper into the wil- 
derness, and to select a place for his settlement which neither the 
people of Massachusetts nor those of Plymouth could claim. He 
went to Narragansett Bay (1636), and there chose for his colony 
the site of the present city of Providence. This was the be- 
ginning of the State of Rhode Island, which was one of the 




From a painting by IVray. 

ROGER WILLIAMS BEFRIENDED BY THE NARRAGANSETTS. 

thirteen original colonies. It was a beautiful spot, and to-day 
the hillside that was then covered with trees and beautiful grass 
is the location of a wealthy city. Where once reigned silence, 
now are heard the bustle of trade and the murmur of busy life. 

At Providence, Williams did not forget to practice what he 
had preached in Massachusetts. He had taught that the land 
should be bought from the Indians ; so he visited the Narragan- 



ROGER WILLIAMS AND THOMAS HOOKER. ;i 

setts who held sway over the greater part of what is now Rhode 
Island and bought from them a large tract of land. Providence 
was also made a place of refuge for those who might be driven 
from their homes on account of their religious beliefs, and no one 
was to be punished by the government for the way in which he 
worshipped God. In other words, Williams established religious 
freedom which, at that time, existed nowhere else in the world. 

Other settlers quickly came to Rhode Island, and among 
them was Mrs. Ann Hutchinson, a woman of fine intellect, who 
was driven from Massachusetts, because she -did not believe in 
the Puritan doctrines. Williams received her kindly, and assisted 
her in building the town of Portsmouth. Other settlements were 
formed, and some years after, in 1662, Williams secured from the 
king a charter which united all these settlements into the colony 
of Rhode Island. Rhode Island was never a large colony ; but, 
from its beginning, under the direction of Williams, its govern- 
ment was pure and liberal, and for that reason it prospered and 
grew in wealth. 

Williams was a good man and bore no ill feeling against 
the people of Massachusetts. Hardly had he settled Rhode 
Island before Massachusetts and the Pequot Indians were at 
war. The people of Massachusetts brought on the war by seizing 
the land of the Pequots. Williams saw that if all the Indians of 
New England combined against the whites, the result would be 
disastrous to the colonists. He therefore visited the Narragan- 
setts and persuaded them not to join the Pequots, who, fighting 
alone, were easily overcome. Williams may be said to have 
saved New England. In spite of his services, the government of 
Massachusetts was so unforgiving that it never removed the 
sentence by which Williams was expelled from the colony. 

Williams lived for nearly fifty years after the settlement of 
Rhode Island. During that time he worked earnestly to promote 
the welfare of New England. Not only did he aid in the Pequot 



- 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



but just a few years before his death, when Philip, the 

chief of the Pokanokets. tried to destroy all the English in New 

gland, Williams again secured the friendship of the Xarragan- 

- tts. He likewise raised troops in Rhode Island to assist the 

.- though they had refused to have anything to do 

with Rhode Island. Through the efforts of all the colonies Philip 

- defeated, and the Pokanoket tribe was almost destroved 

(i 6- 

ed long enough to see all of the colonies of New 

gland in a prosperous condition. He was eighty-four years of 

g at the time of his death, and, though so old, was full of vigor 

to the last. He was buried at Providence, the city which he had 

built and which h< g tly loved. 

Thomas Hooker, though not so great a man as Williams, was. 
like him. the founder lony. Hooker came to Boston two 

years after Williams, and became pastor of the church at Cam- 
bridge. He was a very learned man and an eloquent speaker, 
and by his preaching he greatly aroused the people. 

In those days no man had a voice in the government of 

Ma,-- : setts aless he was a member of the church. Hooker 

said that all men should take part in the government, even though 

they might not be church members, but Governor Winthrop would 

such an idea. Then Hooker conceived the plan of 

string a colony where even' man could have a voice in 

managing its affairs. So without quarreling with Winthrop, he 

Massachusetts with a great company of people just a few 

months after Williams had been driven out, and went towards 

the valley of the Connecticut River. On the journey through 

the wilderness from Boston to the Connecticut River, he and 

his congregation traveled slowly, taking their wives and children 

and the: with them. They lived, as best they could, on 

food as could be carried on a long journey, and on the milk 

of their c 



ROGER WILLIAMS AND THOMAS HOOKER. 



73 



In 1636 a town called Hartford was built on the Connecticut 
River, and soon after Windsor and Wethersfield were founded. 
Through the influence of Hooker, these towns were united into 
one colony (1639), under the name of Connecticut. The written 
agreement which brought these towns under the same govern- 
ment is known as the Body of Fundamental Laws, and was 
written by Hooker himself. 

The government of Connecticut, as thus established, was the 
first in the world to ^ 

be created by a writ- 
ten constitution, as 
we now call it. This 
constitution was ap- *r..«. $dta! 




ON THE MARCH TO CONNECTICUT 



proved by the people, and gave equal rights and privileges to all 
the settlers. When all the people living in a state have an equal 
voice in the government, the government is called a democracy ; 
so Connecticut was the first democracy to be established with a 
written constitution. 

A few years after the settlement of Connecticut, a Puritan 
preacher named John Davenport came there from England with 
a body of settlers. Even the government of Massachusetts was 
too liberal for Davenport, because he wanted to form a colony 
with every law based upon the Bible. For example, he was 



74 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

opposed to trials by jury because he could find nothing about 
them in the Bible. Davenport went to the mouth of the Con- 
necticut River and there planted the colony of New Haven. 
Some twenty years later it was joined to Connecticut. 

New England was, in colonial days, composed of many col- 
onies. You have learned of Plymouth, Massachusetts, Rhode 
Island, Connecticut and New Haven. Plymouth was united to 
Massachusetts (1692), and New Haven to Connecticut (1662). 
There are now in New England two other states, New Hamp- 
shire and Maine. New Hampshire was settled almost as early as 
Massachusetts, and was for many years a part of it, but was 
finally made a distinct colony (1741). Maine was a part of 
Massachusetts until 1820, when it became a state in the Union. 
So at the time of the Revolution there were in New England 
only four distinct colonies : Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Con- 
necticut, and New Hampshire including Vermont. 

Geography Study. Map of New England. Find Salem, Ply- 
mouth, Providence, Portsmouth, R.I., Boston, Connecticut River, Hartford, 
New Haven and Narragansett Bay. Name the states of New England. 

Review Questions. What two preachers did Winthrop drive from 
Massachusetts? Tell of the early life of Williams. Tell of his preaching 
in Massachusetts. What did the officials of Massachusetts do? Tell of 
the wanderings of Williams. How was he received by the Indians? Tell 
of his settlement at Providence. What were his views about religion? 
What is religious freedom? Tell of Mrs. Hutchinson. What Indian gave 
trouble to Massachusetts? How did Williams aid the people of New 
England? Who was Thomas Hooker? Why did he leave Massachusetts? 
Tell of his journey to the Connecticut River. What town did he build? 
What is the importance of the "Fundamental Laws"? Tell of John 
Davenport. What became of the New Haven colony? Name the 
colonies of New England at the time of the Revolution. 




^->— - — —yihm 



ir^-'^^TlwiiF"^ 



V ', ; / ^C^-pN^' Governor Stuyvesant Refusing a 

■ilV "\^ - "^flX B Petition. 



CHAPTER IX. 



Henry Hudson and Peter Stuyvesant, 



1580(?)-1611. 



1602-1682. 



All the European nations turned with longing eyes to 
America. The Spaniards entered it first. The English at 
Jamestown made the second permanent settlement, and a year 
later the French settled in Canada. 

At this time, one of the leading commercial nations of 
Europe was little Holland. It had a splendid navy and many 
merchant vessels, and its people had grown wealthy by trading 
with the East India islands. They likewise sent expeditions to 
explore the western seas with the hope of finding a passage west 
to India, China and Japan. These explorations led to certain 
discoveries in America, and were followed by a Dutch settlement 
in New York. The way to America was pointed out to the 
Dutch by Henry Hudson. 

Hudson was an Englishman and lived in London. Of his 
birth and early life we know nothing. We are told, however, 
that he was a friend of Captain John Smith. He began his 



y6 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

explorations under the London Company, and was sent to look 
for the northwest passage, which so many English sailors, after 
the Cabots, had tried in vain to find. He made several voyages 
for the English in the neighborhood of Greenland and Labrador, 
but without success. These unsuccessful attempts caused the 
London Company to give up hope of finding a northwest pas- 
sage, so Hudson went to Holland and entered the service of the 
Dutch East India Company. 

In 1609 he sailed from Holland in his little vessel, the Half 
Moon, with a crew of twenty. He first touched at Newfound- 
land. Then he went southwest to the Chesapeake Bay and even 
farther south, it is thought, looking for the way to the Pacific. 
Becoming discouraged, he sailed north along the coast, and, 
after several months, entered what is now New York Bay. He 
saw that there was a great stream flowing into this bay, and at 
once determined to explore it. He probably thought that this 
stream was the northwest passage. He sailed up the beautiful 
river which is now called Hudson, till he came to the mountains 
and to the shallow waters which are near the present location of 
Albany. He traded with a number of the Indians, and secured 
much fur and tobacco. On one occasion some Indians went on 
board the Half Moon. Hudson and his men were so mean as 
to give one old Indian a big drink of whisky, which none of the 
natives had ever tasted. To the great surprise of his com- 
panions, he soon went fast asleep, and they thought that he had 
been poisoned ; so they hastily left the boat and went ashore. 
When they returned the next day and found the old man well, 
they thought that he had been bewitched ; and it was a long 
time before they came to understand the effect of whisky. In 
after years the Dutch gave these Indians whisky in return for 
furs, and they were so fond of the white man's drink, that num- 
bers of them became drunkards. 

When Hudson left the river which now bears his name, he 



HENRY HUDSON* AND PETER STUYVESANT. 



77 



was delighted with the beautiful country he had found, and 
sailed back to Europe to report his discovery. The Dutch were 
much pleased, and the next year they sent out vessels to trade 
with the Indians along the Hudson River. 

Hudson never again sailed under the Dutch flag. He re- 
turned to the employ of the London Company, and once more 
went in search of the northwest passage. On this voyage he dis- 




From the painting by Weir, 

THE LANDING OF HENRY HUDSON. 

covered Hudson Bay, where he was forced to spend the winter. 
His ship became frozen in the ice, and his crew nearly perished 
for want of food. At the approach of spring, the sailors rebelled 
against him, and seizing him and some of his companions, put 
them into a small boat and left them to die among the icebergs 
of the northern seas. 

The experiences of the Dutch with the Indians along the 
Hudson River encouraged them to believe that the fur trade 



78 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



would be profitable, and that it would be well to establish a 
colony in the New World. They, therefore, built a trading post 
on Manhattan Island, where New York now stands, and another 
on the Hudson River near the site of Albany. The country 
was called New Netherland, and the settlement on Manhattan 
Island was called New Amsterdam. In a little while, the num- 
ber of settlers greatly increased. 




The 



lands along the Hudson 



were granted 



to great land 
owners called patroons, who 
became prosperous and 
wealthy. While the Dutch 
rule lasted in New Nether- 
land, there were three gov- 
ernors, the last of whom was 
Peter Stuyvesant (Stl've-sant). 
Peter Stuyvesant was born 
in Holland about 1602. When 
a young man, he became a sol- 
dier, and while fighting bravely, 
lost one leg. Ever after that 
he wore a wooden leg, and when 
the people heard him come 
hobbling along the streets of 
New Amsterdam, they made way for their brave governor. Stuy- 
vesant was cross and peevish, and when he was governor he would 
scold the people severely if they did not do as he said. He ruled 
them well, however. He made friends with the Indians, and would 
not let the Dutch sell them any whisky. He believed in education 
and established good schools for the children of New Amsterdam. 
All the people of the colony had to attend church, but every 
man was allowed to worship God according to his own convictions. 
While Stuyvesant was governor, the people of Sweden sent a 



l'ETER STUYVESANT. 



IENRY HUDSON AND PETER STUVVESANT. 



79 



colony to America, which settled on the Delaware River, and 

built a fort called Christiana ( 1638). This fort was located in the 

present State of Delaware, near where Wilmington stands. Stuv- 

vesant objected to a 

Swedish settlement so 

near him, so he raised 

an army, took Fort 

Christiana, and made 

New Sweden a part of 

New Netherland 

(1655). 

Hardly had the 
S w e d e s been con- 
quered, before New 
Netherland was in- 
vaded by the English. 
England claimed all of 
North America and re- 
garded the Dutch set- 
tlers as intruders, so a 
fleet was sent over to 
conquer New Nether- 
land. Governor Stuy- 
vesant was taken by 
surprise ; but he was a 
brave man, and when 
the fleet appeared be- 
fore New Amsterdam, 
he prepared to make a defense of the town. The English de- 
manded that he should surrender, but he promptly refused. The 
people, however, would not fight, so he was forced to yield, and 
thus New Netherland passed into the hands of England. 

The whole territory was granted to James, Duke of York, who 









I: "jy" 


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sb©- ^B* 









From a painting by Powell. 

STUVVESANT DESTROYS THE DEMAND FOR 
SURRENDER. 



8o MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

called it New York. Part of the territory was later granted by 
the Duke of York to two favorites, Berkeley and Carteret, who 
established the colony of New Jersey (1665). New York pros- 
pered under the rule of the English, and at the time of the Revo- 
lution was one of the richest colonies in America. 

After Stuyvesant surrendered to the English, he did not re- 
turn to Holland. He had a farm on Manhattan Island called 
the " Bowerie." Here he lived the rest of his life, giving no 
trouble to the English. He died at the age of eighty. 

Geography Study. Map of the World. Find China, Japan, 
India, Greenland, Labrador and Hudson Bay. Map of the United States. 
Locate the Chesapeake Bay, New York City, Albany, the Hudson River, 
Delaware, Wilmington and New Jersey. Which is the largest city in the 
United States?. 

Review Questions. What caused the Dutch to turn to America? 
Who was Henry Hudson ? Tell what he did for the London Company. 
Tell of his voyage for the Dutch East India Company. Describe his voy- 
age up the Hudson River. Why did the Dutch decide to settle New 
York ? What became of Hudson ? What towns did the Dutch build in 
New York ? What kind of man was Governor Stuyvesant ? Tell why 
he was a good governor. Tell of the Swedes in Delaware. Why did the 
English attack New York ? Why did Stuyvesant surrender ? What other 
colony was soon made from the territory of New York ? Tell of Stuy- 
vesant's last years. 




CHAPTER X. 

Lord Baltimore 

1582-1632. 



T O-DAY we enjoy so many blessings of freedom that we cannot 
realize how little liberty there was three hundred years ago. You 
have learned how the Puritans were forced to leave England be- 
cause they could not worship God in their own way ; but there 
were other people in England who were persecuted even more 
than were the Puritans. These were the Catholics, who were 
allowed no religious rights by the laws of England. In other 
words, their religion was not tolerated. 

There lived in England a good and pious Catholic, George 
Calvert, better known as Lord Baltimore, who thought that it 
would be a good plan to establish a colony in America where the 
Catholic religion might exist without interference. 

Lord Baltimore belonged to an English family whose ances- 
tors had come from France. He was born in 1582. When a 
mere boy, he entered Trinity College at Oxford University and 
graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, at the age of four- 
teen. He then traveled in Europe, and, returning to England, en- 
tered the employment of the government. He was made a clerk of 
the King's Council, and in this way was brought into close relation 
with King James L, who honored and loved him. Because he was 
so able and diligent the king made him one of his chief officers. 



82 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

George Calvert was then a Protestant, but a little later he de- 
cided that the Catholic Church was the true one. He had every- 
thing to lose by becoming a Catholic, but like a true man he fol- 
lowed his conscience. As no Catholic could hold office, he gave 
up his position at the king's court. Almost any other officer 
would have been harshly treated for changing his religion, but 
the king, believing in the sincerity of Calvert, not only continued 
to love him, but even made him Lord Baltimore. This, at that 
time, was a high honor to be conferred upon a Catholic. 

Lord Baltimore had always taken a great interest in America, 
and had been a member of the London Company which estab- 
lished the colony of Virginia. He became anxious to send out a 
colony under his own direction, so the king, to gratify this wish, 
granted him a part of the island of Newfoundland. Here Lord 
Baltimore planted a colony, but the climate was so cold that after 
a few years the colony was abandoned. 

In the meantime, King James had died, and his son Charles 
had come to the throne. The latter's wife, Henrietta Maria, was 
a French princess and a Catholic, so of course she was willing to 
help those who believed as she did. Thus Lord Baltimore con- 
tinued to enjoy the favor of the Crown. 

With the idea of finding a place suitable for his colony, Lord 
Baltimore visited Virginia, but, as you know, the Virginians were 
very loyal to the English Church, so when Lord Baltimore 
landed in Virginia he was asked to take the oath of supremacy. 
By taking this oath he would acknowledge the King of Eng- 
land as the head of the Catholic Church. This Lord Baltimore 
could not do, because every Catholic believes that the Pope is 
the head of the Church. So he declined to take the oath, and 
the Virginians sent him out of the colony. He was pleased, 
however, with this part of America, and, on his return to Eng- 
land, he persuaded the king to grant him some land just north 
of the Potomac River. The grant included the present states of 



r/iRI) BALTIMORE. 



83 



Maryland and Delaware. Before Lord Baltimore completed his 
plans for the settlement, he died, and was greatly mourned in 
England. 

His son, Cecil Calvert, became Lord Baltimore and deter- 
mined to carry out his father's plan of planting a Catholic 
colony in America, so King Charles renewed for him the grant 
which had been promised to the first 
Lord Baltimore. The country was 
called Maryland (Maria land), in 
honor of the queen, Henrietta Maria. 
The whole territory was put into 
the hands of Lord Baltimore, with 
the power to manage it just as he 
wished, provided he did not violate 
the charter which the king had 
granted. Lord Baltimore, being the 
sole owner of Maryland, was called 
the proprietor, and Maryland was 
known as a proprietary colony. 

The terms on which the charter 
was granted were very liberal. No 
one would ever have known that the 
King of England was over the pro- 
prietor but for the. fact that Lord 

Baltimore was required to give yearly to the king, at Easter time, 
two Indian arrows. The ceremony of presenting to the king the 
tax of two Indian arrows was only to show that Lord Baltimore 
acknowledged the king as his master. 

Two vessels, the Dove and the Ark, set sail for America, with 
some two hundred colonists. Most of these were Catholics, but 
some Prote tants were in the band. There came also with them 
a number of Catholic priests, who hoped to convert the Indians. 
Lord Baltimore did not come himself, but appointed his brother, 




QUEEN HENRIETTA MARIA. 



84 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

Leonard Calvert, as governor, to whom is really due the honor of 
establishing the colony of Maryland. The settlers landed at 
St. Mary's in 1634. At once they set to work to build a little 
town. The Indians were kindly treated, and many of them were 
converted to Christianity. 

The Virginians were very violently opposed to this settlement. 
They claimed that Maryland belonged to them, as it had been 
included in their charter. A Virginian, William Clayborne, had 
settled on Kent Island, which is now a part of Maryland, and he 
resisted the coming of Catholic settlers. He went to war with 
the Marylanders, and at one time actually overcame them. The 
English government afterwards forced Clayborne to give up Kent 
Island. 

Although Maryland was settled by Catholics, in a little while 
the colony contained more Protestants than Catholics. This was 
due to the fact that it was the first English colony in America 
that established religious toleration. Because his views were not 
tolerated by the Puritans, Roger Williams left Massachusetts 
and established religious freedom in Rhode Island ; but this 
was two years after the settlement of Maryland. The governor 
of Maryland was required to take an oath that all Christians 
should be treated alike in the colony. Later (1649) a ^ aw was 
passed providing that all people who believed in God and Jesus 
should have equal rights in the colony. Thi* was the first tolera- 
tion law ever passed in the Christian world. 

Leonard Calvert was governor of Maryland for thirteen years. 
He did all that he could for the people, and when he died the 
colony was in a prosperous condition. From his death to the 
Revolution, with the exception of a period of twenty-five years, 
Maryland was under the control of the Lords Baltimore. After 
171 5 they were Protestants; and, strange to say, the Catholics 
who had settled Maryland and tolerated other denominations, 
were not tolerated there until the Revolution. 



LORD BALTIMORK. 



85 



Geography Study. Map of the United States. Find Maryland 
and Delaware. What states touch them ? What river separates Mary- 
land from Virginia ? What body of water divides Maryland into two 
parts ? Find St. Mary's, Annapolis and Baltimore. 

Review Questions. What religious rights do we enjoy now that the 
people did not have three hundred years ago ? How were the Catholics 
treated in England? What was Lord Baltimore's plan?. Tell something of 
Lord Baltimore's early life. Why did he leave his office as a king's coun- 
cillor? How did James treat George Calvert after he became a Catholic? 
Tell of Lord Baltimore's colony in Newfoundland. Tell of his trip to Virginia. 
What territory did the king promise him ? On his death, who succeeded 
him? How did King Charles treat Cecil Calvert? What is a proprietary 
colony? How did Maryland get its name ? Tell of the terms of the charter. 
Tell of the first settlement at St. Mary's. Tell of Clayborne and the opposi- 
tion of the Virginians. What is religious toleration ? Tell of Maryland's 
toleration law. What was the condition of Maryland at the death of 
Leonard Calvert ? Tell of the way the Catholics were treated after 1 7 15. 





;i:al of the province of Maryland. 
(In use from 1658 to 1776.) 





(WilIieanK 



*fc«r_--.lw9 a s ill SwriA 







5^^'^t=~:': ••"-gV-,-; ■ ; -~ [j^nrfs Ho use m Philade Ifrhi* «j) 



CHAPTER XI. 

William Penn. 

1644-1718. 



As you remember, the Puritans settled in New England in 
order that they might worship God according to their own beliefs, 
and the Catholics established the colony of Maryland for a like 
reason. In the meanwhile, still another religious body had been 
organized in England. The members of this sect believed that 
no special honor should be paid to any man, and they even re- 
fused to take off their hats in the presence of the king. They 
called themselves the Society of -Friends, but they are better 
known as Quakers. The people of England despised the Quakers, 
forbade them to hold religious meetings, and imprisoned many 
of them. Some of them came to Massachusetts, but were sent 
away, and those who persisted in returning were tried and hanged. 
Just think of men being hanged for their religious belief ! Under 
these conditions it was not strange that the Quakers wished for a 
home where they might be at peace. Such a home was promised 
for them by their great leader, William Penn. 

William Penn belonged to a distinguished family. His father 



was an admiral in the English 



navy, and a great friend of 



Charles II., and of James, Duke of York, who was afterwards 
King James II. of England. William Penn was born in 1644. 



WILLIAM l'ENN. 



87 



He received a good education, and was sent to Oxford Univer- 
sity at the age of fifteen. As a boy he had shown a deep reli- 
gious spirit, and while at the university he met a Quaker preacher 
named Thomas Loe, and was greatly influenced by his preaching. 

Years ago, the university students used to wear long black 
gowns, as they do to-day at some schools and colleges. When 
Perm was at Oxford many of the students who were Puritans had 
put aside their gowns, because they made the boys look like 
Catholic priests. But Charles II. thought 
the wearing of gowns was a good custom, 
and so he ordered all the university stu- 
dents to put them on again. Perm and 
some other young men refused to dress in 
this way, and even went so far as to seize 
and to tear t>ff the gowns of some other 
students who obeyed the king's orders. 
For this offense Penn and his friends were 
expelled from the university. 

Penn's father was very angry with him 
because of his conduct, and was also 
greatly troubled for fear that his son would 

become a Quaker. He wanted William to enter into the fashion- 
able society of London ; and he knew that if he became a Friend, 
he would refuse to do so. He thought that a trip abroad would 
drive away the religious spirit of the boy ; so William was sent to 
Paris. Here young Penn conducted himself as a good and pious 
man, and did not enter into the gay life of the city. When he 
returned to London, he began the study of law at his father's 
request ; but, much to the sorrow of his father, he outwardly be- 
came a Quaker. This made the old Admiral so angry that he 
drove his son away from home. Penn then became a Quaker 
preacher, and wrote many religious books. 

There was a law in England that no religious body other than 




ADMIRAL PENN. 



88 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

the established church could hold meetings within five miles of a 
town under penalty of fine and imprisonment. This was called 
the Conventicle Act. Perm preached several times in violation 
of this law, and on refusing to pay the fine was sent to prison. 
His father paid the fine and had his son released, but would not 
speak to him. Still William held to his religion. 

Admiral Perm, though pained to see his son a member of the 
despised band of Quakers, never lost love for him. Just before 
his death, the Admiral sent for the king and the Duke of York, 
and begged them to be kind to his son. They were moved by 
the plea of the dying admiral, and they never forgot to befriend 
his son whenever an occasion was offered. 

Soon after the death of his father, Penn turned his attention 
to America, and determined to establish a colony of Quakers in 
the New World. 

You remember how the English conquered from the Dutch 
the territory which included the present states of New York, 
New Jersey and Delaware. New Jersey was granted to two of 
the king's favorites, Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. It 
was settled rapidly, and was soon divided by the owners into 
East New Jersey and West New Jersey. Penn bought the 
controlling interest in West New Jersey, and through his in- 
fluence a number of Quakers came to that province. Some 
years later he became interested also in East New Jersey. Many 
troubles arose in the Jerseys, which were not settled until the 
two provinces were reunited and given back to the king. New 
Jersey thus became a royal province (1722). It is interesting to re- 
member, however, that Penn had much to do with its early growth. 

After Penn became interested in New Jersey, he applied to 
the king to give him a charter for the land lying west of the 
Delaware River. He asked that this land be given to him as 
proprietor, in the same way in which Maryland had been granted 
to Lord Baltimore. 



WILLIAM PENN. 89 

The King of England owed about $80,000 to the estate of 
Admiral Perm, which his son, William, inherited. Charles II. 
did not have the money to pay this debt, so Penn offered to 
take the tract of land in America instead of the money. The 
king consented to this (1681) and, in honor of Admiral Penn, 
named the province Pennsylvania, which means Perm's woodland 
or forest. 

In this region there were already nearly three thousand 
Dutch, Swedish and English settlers. Penn allowed them to 
remain and sent over other settlers to Pennsylvania. He estab- 
lished a very liberal form of government, and he allowed every- 
body to worship God according to his conscience. 

Penn believed that the Indians should be treated fairly; so, 
as soon as he came to America, he met them under a large elm 
tree at Kensington, and there made a treaty of peace with them. 
He built a new city and called it Philadelphia, the city of broth- 
erly love. It was laid off with broad and wide streets, and has 
ever since been one of the prettiest cities in America. 

Penn was instrumental in the establishment of another dis- 
tinct colony, Delaware, which became one of the thirteen states. 
Delaware was a part of the New York territory and was conse- 
quently the property of the Duke of York. Penn wanted it 
because it was near the ocean, so he bought it from the Duke in 
1682. At that time it was inhabited by Swedes, Dutch and a 
few English. It was at first annexed to Pennsylvania, and was 
called the "Territories " or the " Power Counties." These lower 
counties refused to take part in the government of Pennsylvania, 
so Penn gave them a separate government (1701 ), though they 
continued until the Revolution to have the same governor as 
Pennsylvania. 

Delaware was included also in the Maryland grant to Lord 
Baltimore, and for years there was a dispute as to the boundary 
between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Finally the line was run 



9 o 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



by two surveyors, Mason and Dixon, and to this day the bound- 
ary line between Maryland and Pennsylvania is known as Mason 
and Dixon's line. 

Pennsylvania grew rapidly under Perm and his descendants, 



'ffiSi 




frT 


^/^r ■_rf/ i:-^. >i fc ^ ^£g» '** -l NH 


Wk tfwfysit^ 


^;x * A ." ^II.Tb «;7> 


' ^%&JFwi '&. $®f< ' 


i " ^y^ ^ ^ ^ **'• 


. _■•- .-'vT- ., " ,. -' c - 



REATING WITH THE INDIANS. 



and by the time of the Revolution was one of the most impor- 
tant colonies in America. 

Perm lived thirty-seven years after the establishment of the 
Pennsylvania colony. Most of that time he spent in England, 
where he exerted himself greatly in the interest of the Quakers. 
He was imprisoned several times in the latter part of his life, and 
was even accused of being a traitor to the English government ; 



WILLIAM PENN. 91 

but whenever he was brought to trial, no proof could be shown 
of his guilt. Finally he was allowed to live in England in 
peace. He was in every way an honest and upright man, one 
of the most moral men of his age, and was never known to be 
drunk, to swear or to use bad words. He spent his life in serv- 
ing God and in doing good to his fellow-men. Pennsylvania 
indeed has every reason to be proud of its founder. No man 
who figured in our colonial history deserves more praise than 
William Penn, the Quaker leader and preacher. Long may his 
name be honored ! 

Geography Study. Map of the Middle Atlantic States. Find 
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. How is Pennsylvania separated 
from New Jersey? How large is Delaware? Locate Wilmington, Phila- 
delphia and Kensington. How large is Philadelphia? Name the states 
that touch Pennsylvania. 

Review Questions. Who were the Quakers? How were they 
treated in England? How in Massachusetts? Tell of Penn's boyhood 
and his life at Oxford University. Why was Penn sent on a trip abroad? 
What did he do when he returned to England? How did his father treat 
him when he became a Quaker? Why was Penn imprisoned? What 
did Admiral Penn ask of the king and the Duke of York? Tell of William 
Penn and New Jersey. How did Penn acquire Pennsylvania? How did 
Pennsylvania get its name? Tell of Penn's government of Pennsylvania. 
What city did he build? Tell of Penn's connection with Delaware. Tell 
of Mason and Dixon's line. Give an account of Penn's life in England 
after the establishment of Pennsylvania. Why should we honor him ? 
W 7 rite a composition on the character of William Penn. 




CHAPTER XII. 

John Locke 

1632-1701 



BETWEEN Virginia and Florida lay a broad strip of land 
called Carolina. The Spaniards were the first to enter this terri- 
tory, but they did not plant a colony there. About 1562 some 
French under John Ribault settled near Port Royal in what is 
now South Carolina. This colony was short-lived because the 
Spaniards came and destroyed it. For about one hundred years 
the territory between Virginia and Florida lay without a definite 
owner, and without any government. Finally, King Charles II. 
granted the territory which now constitutes the states of North 
and South Carolina to eight of his favorites as proprietors (1663). 
Among the proprietors were the Earl of Shaftesbury, the Duke 
of Albemarle and the Earl of Clarendon. They organized into 
a colony the various settlements made by emigrants from Vir- 
ginia in the northern part of this territory, and called jt Albe- 
marle. Out of this Albemarle colony grew the state of North 
Carolina. Several settlements were made in the southern part, 
the most important one being the Clarendon colony, of which 
Charleston was the chief town. All of these colonies were to be 



JOHN LOCKE. 



93 



under the control of the proprietors, just as Maryland was con- 
trolled by its proprietor, Lord Baltimore. 

Many people came to these settlements from Virginia, New 
England, England and Scotland. Many French Protestants, 
known as Huguenots, also settled in the Carolinas about 1 700. 
These different peoples came seeking liberty and freedom. Those 
from New England came to get away from the stern and cruel 
rule of the Puritans ; the French 
Huguenots, who were persecuted 
at home, came in search of reli- 
gious liberty. From Virginia came 
many who were opposed to the 
Church of England, and from 
Scotland came Presbyterians who 
wished to be where their religion 
might be exercised without inter- 
ference. 

To govern in a satisfactory way 
this mixed mass of people was a 
great question, but the Earl of 
Shaftesbury, one of the proprie- 
tors, believed that the well-known 
English philosopher John Locke 
could prepare a form of government 
for the colonies, which would suit al 
this difficult task. The plan which he offered as the basis of the 
government of the Carolinas was called the Fundamental Constitu- 
tions. The Fundamental Constitutions was a very elaborate 
frame of government, which proposed to plant in the forests of 
America a system in which there were to be lords and nobles, 
under whom the great mass of the people were to be kept in sub- 
jection. In other words, there was to be no government by the 
people, and the freedom for which the settlers had come to 




THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY. 



so Locke was selected for 



94 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



America was not to be granted. For this very reason the Fun- 
damental Constitutions was a failure. 

Locke was a learned man and a good philosopher, but the 
failure of his plan proves that a government cannot succeed un- 
less it is drawn up by one who understands the conditions of 
the people who have to live under it. 

Locke was born in England in 1632. He was well educated, 
and received the Master of Arts degree from Oxford University. 
When a young man, he became acquainted with the Earl of 

Shaftesbury, who employed him as a 
tutor for his son. The Earl of Shaftes- 
bury was greatly pleased with Locke's 
learning; and, for that reason, asked 
him to study politics and to prepare a 
constitution for the government of the 
colonies. By some views which he ex- 
pressed about the English government, 
he afterwards became unpopular. At 
one time, it was thought that he was a 
traitor ; therefore, he had to flee to Hol- 
land where he lived until James II. was 
driven from the throne. When William 
and Mary became the sovereigns of England, he returned to his 
native land and was appointed by King William one of the mem- 
bers of the Board of Plantations and Trade, which acted for the 
king in looking after the American colonies. 

In this connection Locke had much to do with the wise policy 
winch William and Mary adopted in the government of the 
colonies, and, when he died in 1704, England realized that an 
honest and patriotic man had passed away. Although his plan 
for the government of the Carolinas was impracticable, and there- 
fore a failure, Locke was a great philosopher, and men will always 
study his written work with interest and profit. 




JOHN LOCKE. 



JOHN LOCKE. 95 

For twenty-two years the proprietors tried to enforce Locke's 
plan of government, but the people would not submit to it. In 
the forests of America it was impossible to get a settler to ac- 
knowledge any one as his lord. There were several rebellions on 
the part of the liberty-loving Carolinians, and finally Philip Lud- 
well, the governor of all the Carolina settlements, told the pro- 
prietors that Locke's plan must be given up (1692). 

The proprietors were never able to govern the colonies in a 
satisfactory way. Even after the abandonment of the Funda- 
mental Constitutions, the spirit of liberty among the settlers 
showed itself and they resisted the taxes of the proprietors. 
Moreover, the northern colony, which came to be known as 
North Carolina, demanded a governor for itself, while the pro- 
prietors insisted that there should be only one governor for both 
colonies. Finally, in 17 19, the settlers rebelled against the pro- 
prietors and elected a governor of their own. They then appealed 
to King George to take the colonies and to make them into a 
royal province. The king took control of the colonies, though 
the land was still held by the proprietors. The matter was settled 
ten years later, when the proprietors surrendered their charter to 
the king, and Carolina was finally divided, in 1729, into two royal 
provinces, one called South Carolina, and the other. North 
Carolina. 

The two colonies now entered upon an era of prosperity. 
Each increased rapidly in population and wealth. There ever re- 
mained in these two colonies that spirit of liberty which showed 
itself in the days of the proprietors ; and, when the Revolution 
came, North and South Carolina were among the first to resist 
English tyranny and to form themselves into free and independent 
states. 

Geography Study. Map of the SoutJi At/antic States. Locate the 
Carolinas. What states touch them ? Find Port Royal and Charleston. 



9 6 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



What is the capital of North Carolina ? What is the capital of South 
Carolina ? 

Review Questions. Who first entered the Carolinas? Tell of 
the settlement at Port Royal. What did Charles II. do with the Carolinas? 
How many settlements were made, and what were they? Tell of the 
different people who came to the Carolinas, and their purpose in coming? 
What kind of government did the proprietors try to establish? Give an 
account of the life of Locke. Why did his plan of government fail? Tell 
of the overthrow of the proprietors and the establishment of two royal 
provinces. What spirit was found in the people of the Carolinas at the 
time of the Revolution? 









A VIEW OF CHARLESTON. 







The Retreat from St. Augustine 




" : ^m* . mm - : 



CHAPTER XIII. 

James Oglethorpe, 

1689(?)-1785. 



GEORGIA was the last of the thirteen colonies "to be settled. 
Its settlement was due to the noble impulses of James 
Oglethorpe (Ogl'thorp). 

Oglethorpe was an English gentleman of noble birth, and of 
great wealth, having inherited a large estate. After receiving a 
good education, at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, he entered 
the English army and fought in some bloody wars on the con- 
tinent of Europe. As a soldier he was brave, courageous and 
daring, and always did his duty. When his military life was 
over, he returned to England and was elected a member of Par- 
liament, in which body he sat for thirty-two years. 

Oglethorpe wished to be a useful man. As a member of Parlia- 
ment he was constantly, thinking how he could do something to 
help the poor and the afflicted. In those days a man who could 
not pay his debts was thrown into a prison. Oglethorpe con- 
ceived the plan of releasing from prison the most deserving of 
these debtors and of settling them in America. The colony was 
to be just north of Florida, and would be a barrier between the 



9 8 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



people of South Carolina and the Spaniards in Florida, who 
did not wish the English to settle in America. 

He made known his plan to the people of England, and 
aroused sentiment in favor of it, securing the support of some of 
the most distinguished men in that country. Parliament granted 
a large strip of land lying between South Carolina and Florida, and 

chartered a company to make a 
settlement. The House of Com- 
mons voted ;£ 10,000 ($50,000) for 
the undertaking, and about £2$,- 
OOO ($125,000) was raised by sub- 
scription. The enterprise being a 
benevolent one, it was provided 
that no officer should receive a sal- 
ary. The new colony was to be 
called Georgia in honor of King 
George II. 

Oglethorpe was so interested in 
the plan that he determined to go 
to America himself, and was elected 
by the trustees as governor of the 
colony. In November, 1732, he 
sailed from England in a little ves- 
sel known as the Ann. There were 
on board thirty-five families who 
were provided with all sorts of tools for work. In January, 1733, 
they sailed up the Savannah River and landed where the city of 
Savannah now stands. On the following Sunday the people met 
in a body to return thanks to God for their safe arrival. At once 
the settlers went to work to cut down trees, to clear the forests, 
and to build houses. Realizing that the colonists needed friends, 
Oglethorpe made a treaty of peace with the Indians. 

At first the colony prospered ; but the debtors who came 




JAMES OGLETHORPE. 



JAMES OGLETHORPE. 99 

over were, in many respects, a -lazy set. Many of them had been 
imprisoned in England because they were too lazy to work to 
pay their debts, or had spent their money in drinking. The 
trustees, in establishing the colony, had hoped to prevent the 
debtors from resuming their former habits of life. To prevent 
drinking, the sale of whisky and other strong drinks was pro- 
hibited in the colony. In order that industry might be en- 
couraged it was thought best that each settler should do his own 
work, and therefore slavery was not to exist in the colony. In 
spite of these wholesome prohibitions we find that in a little 
while the colonists were bringing slaves and whisky into Georgia. 

Although the debtors did not prove to be good settlers, Georgia 
received excellent colonists in the German Protestants who came 
and settled the town of Ebenezer. In the same year Augusta 
was founded, and two years later some Scotch Highlanders 
settled Frederica. The Germans and the Highlanders greatly 
aided the growth of the colony. 

Every effort was made to promote religion in the colony. 
At that time the three great preachers of England were George 
Whitefield, Charles Wesley, and his brother, John Wesley, who 
was the founder of the Methodist Church. The Wesley brothers 
came to Georgia and preached the gospel, not only to the 
settlers, but also to the Indians. Upon their return to England, 
Whitefield came over and established an orphan asylum at 
Savannah, and converted many of the people. 

While Oglethorpe was working to build up his colony, the 
Spaniards in Florida were viewing with much fear the English 
settlement upon the Savannah River. Oglethorpe soon found 
out that they were preparing to destroy the English colony. 
He, therefore, determined to invade Florida, and to cripple the 
Spaniards before they could attack Georgia. He laid siege to 
St. Augustine, the main city of Florida, but was unsuccessful in 
his attempt. Seeing that he could not capture the city, he sent 

LofC. 



IOO .MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORV. 

the soldiers off ahead of him and was the last to retreat. He 
was advised to go with the soldiers, but answered, " No, I will 
not stir a foot till I see every one of my men marched off before 
me." The Spaniards in return made an attempt to conquer 
Georgia, but they were defeated by Oglethorpe and forced back 
to Florida. 

Shortly after this Oglethorpe was called to England to answer 
the charge of bad management of the war against Spain in 
Florida. He was tried by court martial, and was honorably 
acquitted. There was not one word of truth in the charges 
against him. 

General Oglethorpe's connection with Georgia came to an 
end at this time. He had made the colony, and for its sake he 
had sacrificed all of his own personal interests. His love for 
humanity had led him to do what he could for the poor and 
oppressed. Those whom he had helped never showed proper 
gratitude for his services, but to-day, as we look back upon his 
undertaking, we are bound to commend him. He was a man of 
broad and liberal views, and a real lover of his fellow-men. 

Oglethorpe lived forty years longer, dying at the ripe old age 
of ninety-six. Georgia had become a state before his death ; the 
American Revolution had been fought, and the United States 
had been formed. 

It is very interesting to know that at the outbreak of the 
Revolutionary War, Oglethorpe was one of the leading generals 
in the English army, and that he was asked by the king to take 
charge of the army to subdue the American colonies. Oglethorpe 
knew the Americans well, so he told the king that their obe- 
dience could not be secured by arms, but only by giving them 
justice, and that he could not take command of the English 
forces unless the king would authorize him to assure the 
colonies that their rights would be recognized. The king 
refused to agree to this, and Oglethorpe promptly declined 



JAMES OGLETHORPE. 



101 



to lead the English armies in the war against the American 
colonics. 

When the Revolutionary War had closed, and peace had 
been made with the mother country, John Adams of Mas- 



<* 






1 

I 










6££h&, *C<k 






m 



JOHN WESLEY TEACHING THE INDIANS. 

sachusetts was sent as our first minister to England. He had 
scarcely arrived in London before General Oglethorpe called 
upon him. The noble old general expressed his regard for 
America, and his regret that there had been any misunderstand- 
ing between England and her colonies. He assured Adams of 
his delight that the war was over, and expressed the hope that 
the two countries would live in peace ever afterwards. 

We should never cease to honor the name of Oglethorpe, the 
founder of Georgia, the friend of the poor and oppressed, and the 
advocate of American rights. 



102 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



Geography Study. Map of the South Atlantic States. Find 
Georgia. What are its chief rivers and towns? Find Savannah, Augusta, 
Ebenezer and Frederica. What is the capital of Georgia? Which is the 
larger state, Georgia or Florida? 

Review Questions. Which was the last of the thirteen colonies 
to be founded ? Give an account of Oglethorpe's early life. How long 
was he in Parliament ? What plan did he conceive for the debtors ? 
How were debtors treated in those days ? Why was it a good thing to 
have a colony between South Carolina and Florida ? Tell of the grant 
for the new colony. Tell of the first settlement in Georgia. How did 
Oglethorpe exert himself for the good of the colony ? What two things 
were prohibited in Georgia ? What good settlers came to Georgia, and what 
towns were built ? Tell of the preachers who visited Georgia. Tell of 
the war between Oglethorpe and the Spaniards. Why did Oglethorpe 
return to England ? Tell of his life in England. What stand did he take 
with regard to the American Revolution ? What did he say to John 
Adams after the war was over ? Why should we honor Oglethorpe ? 
Write a composition on the character of Oglethorpe. 




A SPANISH SIIH' ON THE l'LORUM O'AM. 




CHAPTER XIV. 



Marquette and La Salle, 



1637-1675. 



1643-1687. 



We have now heard how the thirteen colonies along the 
Atlantic shores were established by the English. While Eng- 
land was obtaining the whole Atlantic coast, France had not 
been inactive beyond the Alleghany Mountains. The region of 
the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River had been explored by 
two men who saw that a great French empire could be built up 
in North America. These men were Marquette (Mar-ket') and 
La Salle (La Sal), and they prepared the way for the French 
claim to the valleys of the Mississippi and St. Lawrence rivers. 

As early as 1608, Champlain had sailed up the St. Lawrence 
and had established a French colony at Quebec. From this as 
a center, the French had pushed into the woods of Canada, had 
gone to the Great Lakes, and had engaged in a large fur trade 
with the Indians. They exchanged whisky and firearms for furs. 

Many French priests came to Canada, or New France, as it 
was then called. They lived among the native tribes, learn- 



104 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

ing to speak their language, and tried to convert them to 
Christianity. 

One of the best known of these priests was Father Marquette, 
who took up his abode near the Great Lakes. From the Indians 
he had many accounts of the great river which the Indians called 
the Mississippi, and he decided to find and explore it. In May, 
1673, Marquette, with Joliet (Zho-lya') and five other Frenchmen, 
started in two canoes on a journey of exploration. They took 
with them a small quantity of Indian corn and some smoked 
venison. Passing through the Lakes, they entered what is now- 
known as Fox River, which they explored to its source. There 
they came to an Indian village, where Marquette preached to the 
Indians, many of whom were converted. The Indians were kind 
to Marquette, and told him of the great dangers of the Missis- 
sippi River, but still Marquette insisted on entering that river. 
Then the Indians assisted him in transporting his boat from the 
Fox River across some marshes and small lakes until he reached 
the Wisconsin River, which flows into the Mississippi. Marquette 
pursued his journey down the Wisconsin into the Mississippi and 
then down the Mississippi beyond the Missouri, as far south as 
the mouth of the Arkansas River. He then turned back, and, 
after many months of absence, reached his home on the Great 
Lakes. In this journey Marquette had traveled twenty-five hun- 
dred miles. He concluded that the Mississippi emptied into the 
Gulf of Mexico. 

Marquette was greatly pleased with the fertility of the coun- 
try through which the Mississippi flowed. The breadth and 
depth of the river were a great surprise to him, and its length 
seemed marvelous. The forests and prairies which he saw in his 
journey were beautiful, and the Indians were peaceful and kind. 
At once he advised the French to occupy this fertile territory. 

Two years later Marquette suddenly died while he was on 
a missionary journey to some Indians in the present State of 



MARQUETTE AND LA SALLE. 



05 



Illinois. As he was traveling one day up a small stream in his 
canoe, he suddenly went ashore, built an altar and said mass. 
He then requested his two companions, who remained in the 
canoe, to leave him alone for half an hour, while he meditated 
in the woods at a short distance from the river. When the time 
had passed and he did not return, the men went to seek him, 
and found him dead. The 
river on whose banks his death 
occurred is to this day known 
as the Marquette. 

Though Marquette never 
reached the mouth of the Mis- 
sissippi, the report of his voy- 
age was spread abroad in 
Canada. One man then resid- 
ing in Canada saw what the 
possession of the Mississippi 
Valley would mean to France, 
and determined to secure it 
for his country. This was 
Robert, Cavalier de La Salle, 
usually known as La Salle. 

La Salle came to Canada 
about the year 1667. He was 

born in the Province of Normandy in France, and was probably 
a man of noble birth. For twelve years he was in a Jesuit 
Seminary, and it was expected that he would become a priest. 
He preferred, however, to come to America as an explorer and 
trader. 

In Canada, he acquired much wealth by his trade with the 
Indians, from whom he bought beaver skins and other furs in 
exchange for clothing and firearms. His trade carried him to 
the shores of the Great Lakes, because around these lakes lived 




MARQUETTE S GRAVE. 



106 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

the Indians who had collected the best furs. While trading 
among the Indians along the Great Lakes, it occurred to La 
Salle that the great Mississippi, a part of which Marquette had 
explored, might be the longed-for western route to China and 
Japan. At the same time he conceived the plan of seizing for 
France the Mississippi with all the lands drained by it. He ap- 
plied to the King of France for permission to explore the river, 
and to make settlements along its banks. The permission was. 
gladly granted, and the king even made him a nobleman. He 
was likewise made governor of all the lands lying around Fort 
Frontenac on Lake Ontario, and was instructed to encourage 
settlements in that region. 

La Salle's first explorations were made along the Great Lakes. 
He prepared for his undertaking by building a vessel on the shores 
of Lake Erie. There were no shipyards in those days, and it was, 
therefore, a difficult task for La Salle and those who helped him, to 
build a ship. But after months of hard labor, they launched a boat 
of sixty tons burden. This was the first real vessel to sail upon the 
Great Lakes. With hope and confidence La Salle sailed through 
Lake Erie and entered Lake Huron. A tempest arose and his ves- 
sel was nearly destroyed, but he succeeded in reaching the Island 
of Mackinac. When La Salle landed, the Indians looked upon 
him with wonder. They had never seen such a ship before, and 
they called it the great wooden canoe. The ship had been fitted 
out with cannon, which the Indians, seeing for the first time, looked 
upon with amazement. La Salle wished to show the Indians how- 
great he was, so he clothed himself in a scarlet cloak embroidered 
in gold and lace, and, with some of his followers, paid a visit to 
them. They received him kindly, and from them he procured 
provisions for the continuance of his journey. 

La Salle passed through Lake Michigan, and reached the 
Miami River, on the banks of which he built a fort. In the 
meantime his ship had been destroyed by a storm on Lake 



MAROUETTE AND .LA SALLE. 



107 



Michigan, and for some time La Salle suffered from want of food ; 
but finally he succeeded in getting supplies, and continued his 
journey down the Illinois River until he reached Lake Peoria. 

Wherever he went, the Indians stood in fear of him. They 
thought that he came to seize and to destroy their hunting 
grounds. La Salle explained to them that he was only trying 
to find the mouth of the great river, and that he had come to 
preach the gospel to them, and to furnish them with the comforts 
of life. He built a fort on Lake Peoria, 
but he offered to pay the Indians for 
the land with such things as he had in 
his possession. This satisfied the In- 
dians, and they swore that they would 
be friends of the French. 

Finally La Salle started on his jour- 
ney down the Mississippi. Hennepin, 
who was one of his companions, was 
sent up the river to find its source, 
while La Salle was to go down the 
river to find its mouth. Hennepin 
w r ent up the river, passed the present 
site of Minneapolis at the mouth of 
the Wisconsin, where Father Mar- 
quette's voyage down the Mississippi had been begun, discovered 
the falls which he called St. Anthony, and returned to Canada. 

La Salle was unable to complete his journey, because of lack 
of supplies. Many people in Canada were jealous of him. His 
followers deserted him, and he had to return to Canada; but his 
perseverance never forsook him, and in a short while he returned 
to the Mississippi with the determination to sail down that great 
river with a number of small canoes. After six weeks spent in 
making the necessary arrangements, he set forth with fifty-four 
select men, twenty-three Frenchmen and thirty-one Indians. 




THE CHEVALIER DE LA SALLE. 



io8 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



With them were ten Indian women to do the cooking and other 
work. 

The voyage was a dangerous one. As they passed down the 
river exploring its banks, they met with many Indian tribes, 
some of whom were friendly, while others were hostile. After 
several months of hardships the mouth of the Mississippi was 
reached. La Salle set up a cross on which he placed the arms 
of France and these words, " Louis the Great, King of France 
and Navarre, reigns; the 9th of April, 1682." All the men were 
under arms. After singing a hymn of thanksgiving they fired 

their muskets and shouted, " Long 
live the King ! " These ceremonies 
concluded, La Salle took possession 
for France of all the territory drained 
by the Mississippi River. This coun- 
try was called Louisiana in honor of 
King Louis XIV. of France. 

La Salle returned to Canada as 
quickly as possible and sailed for 
France. lie was received at the 
king louis xiv. French court with great respect. He 

told the king of his explorations down 
the Mississippi, and urged that the Mississippi valley be settled by 
the French before the English claimed it. La Salle wanted the 
French to occupy the vast territory from the mouth of the Mis- 
sissippi to the mouth of the St. Lawrence. Had this been done, 
France would have controlled more than half of North America, 
and the English would have been confined to the seacoast east 
of the Appalachian Mountains. 

The French king saw that La Salle's plan, if carried out, 
would greatly increase the power of France in the New World, so 
he gave to La Salle a commission to return to Louisiana, and to 
establish a French colony at the mouth of the Mississippi. 




MARQUETTE AND LA SALLE 



109 



In 1686 La Salic sailed from France with four vessels. When 
he reached the Gulf of Mexico he lost his way, passed the 
Mississippi, and touched upon the coast of Texas. Mere he 
planted a colony, thinking that he was not far from the mouth of 
the Mississippi. He under- 
took several expeditions to 
find the Mississippi, but failed 
in all. The Indians were 
very hostile and killed many 
of the colonists. Then the 
French colonists murmured 
against La Salle, and claimed 
that he had led them into a 
wilderness to die. They be- 
came very desperate, for they 
were without food supplies, 
and many of them died from 
a terrible fever, worse than 
that which had killed the 
early settlers at Jamestown. 

La Salle, realizing the 
perils of the situation, de- 
termined to seek the mouth 
of the Mississippi and to go 
to Canada for help. He 
started on his journey ac- 
companied by a few men. A portion of the party was jealous of 
him and a plan was formed to kill him. One of the conspirators 
hid in high grass and, as La Salle was passing by, he discharged 
his gun and shot him through the head. In less than an hour 
La Salle died, pressing the hand of his friend, Father Anastace, who 
was standing bv his side when he was shot. This good Catholic 
dug a grave and buried the explorer, erecting a cross over the spot. 




THE EXPLORATIONS OF LA SALLE \ND 
HENNEPIN. 



I 10 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

41 Thus perished," said he, " our wise conductor, constant in ad- 
versities, intrepid, generous, engaging, adroit, skillful, and capable 
of anything. He who, during a period of twenty years, had 
softened the fierce temper of a vast number of savage nations, 
was massacred by his own people, whom he had loaded with 
benefits. He died in the vigor of his life, in the midst of his career 
and labors without the consolation of having seen their results." 

La Salle's death was a great blow to France. In a few years 
the French people realized that he had planned well, and, carry- 
ing out his ideas, they built (1699) a town called Biloxi in what 
is now the southern part of the state of Mississippi, and a little 
later (17 18) they settled New Orleans, now the largest city in the 
South. 

The English east of the Alleghanies were jealous of the grow- 
ing power of the French in the Mississippi valley. La Salle had 
been wise enough to see that some day the English would want 
this territory, and he had hoped to plant the French in that region 
in such numbers that the English would not be able to dislodge 
them. Had La Salle's plan been fully carried out, the history 
of the United States might have been quite different, but too 
few of the French went into the Mississippi valley to get full 
control of it. La Salle had planned well, but the French profited 
too slowly by his advice. France has never honored him accord- 
ing to his worth. 

Geography Study. Map of the United States and Canada. Trace 
the Alleghany Mountains. Name the states drained by the Mississippi 
River. What territory is drained by the St. Lawrence River ? Find the 
Great Lakes, Fox River, Wisconsin River, Illinois River, Marquette River, 
St. Anthony's Falls, Arkansas River, Lake Peoria, Miami River and New 
Orleans. Tell what states touch the Mississippi River. 

Review Questions. What was the work of Champlain? W 7 hat 
did many Catholic priests do in New France? Tell of Father Marquette 



MARQUETTE AND LA SALLE. 



among the Indians. Describe his voyage down the Mississippi. What 
did Marquette think of the country ? Tell of his death. Who was La 
Salle? Tell of his life among the Indians. What did he think about 
the Mississippi River? What permission did he get from the king? Tell 
of La Salle on the Great Lakes. How did La Salle try to impress the 
Indians? Why was he so long starting on his journey down the Missis- 
sippi? Describe the voyage to the mouth of the Mississippi. Where did 
Hennepin go? Tell of the ceremonies at the mouth of the Mississippi 
River. What did La Salle do in France? Tell of his colony. What 
was the fate of La Salle? What did Father Anastace say of La Salle? 
Tell of the settlements in the Mississippi valley. Write a composition 
telling what you think of La Salle. 




y:U-::^2.. 




cHei^hts oj AbraK&m and Quebe 



CHAPTER XV. 



James Wolfe. 

1727-1759. 






SHORTLY after the death of La Salle, it was evident to any 
farseeing Frenchman or Englishman that at some day a conflict 
would come between France and England for the possession of 
North America. England and France entered upon a series of 
wars in Europe which lasted for more than a hundred years, and 
soon the colonies became involved. The last of these wars was 
known in this country as the French and Indian war, and contin- 
ued from 1 754 to 1763. 

The French had built forts along the Mississippi and Ohio 
rivers, with the view of connecting the Mississippi valley with 
the St. Lawrence valley. Where Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, now 
stands, they built Fort Duquesne (Dii-kan'). The English deter- 
mined to drive them from this position, and sent General Brad- 
dock to America at the head of a strong body of troops, with 
which he was to take this fort. Braddock set out from Alexandria, 
Virginia, on his march, and with him was George Washington, then 
a very young man. Washington explained to Braddock the way 
in which the French and their Indian allies fought, but Braddock 
would take no advice. As a result of his ignorance and conduct, 
when Braddock was nearing Fort Duquesne, his army was sur- 



TAMES WOLFE. 



113 



prised and defeated, and he himself was killed. The English met 
with like defeats in New York and at other points. 

Just at this time, the great William Pitt, afterwards Earl of 
Chatham, became prime minister of England. Pitt determined 
to drive the French out of North America. He knew that this 
could be done only by taking the stronghold of the French, the 
great city of Quebec in Canada. For this daring undertaking, 
he selected as leader of the English 
army a young man only thirty-two 
years of age. This was James Wolfe. 

Wolfe was born in 1727. His father 
was Lieutenant General Edward Wolfe 
of the English army. He was care- 
fully trained at home by his loving 
mother, and was then sent to a private 
school. Hardly had Wolfe begun his 
studies, when war broke out between 
England and France. Wolfe was only 
thirteen years of age, but he asked 
permission to join the army. His re- 
quest was granted, and two years later 
he was made second lieutenant in his 
father's regiment. He was then a boy 
of only fifteen years, but his manly 

bearing, tall figure and powdered hair made him appear much 
older. He was assigned to service in the English army which 
was stationed on the continent of Europe, and there gave promise 
of being a great soldier. 

Step by step he rose in the army. He was made major, 
then lieutenant colonel, then colonel, and when only thirty- 
one years of age, was raised to the rank of brigadier general. 
While he was thus gaining honor as a soldier, he remained a 
loving son, and never forgot his mother. He wrote to her 




WILLIAM PITT. 



114 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

frequently, telling her of his experiences in the army, and ever 
declaring his love and devotion for her. There is no example in 
history of an active and busy soldier who treated his mother 
with greater respect and love. He always thought of her happi- 
ness, and on one occasion wrote her, " My greatest ambition is to 
deserve your esteem." 

Wolfe was always brave and daring, and would never stoop 
to do a mean thing. He fought in the battle of Culloden 
against the Highlanders of Scotland, who had rebelled against 
the English government. There is a beautiful story told of an 
occurrence at the close of the battle, as Wolfe was riding 
over the field with the Duke of Cumberland, the commander- 
in-chief of the English army. They observed a Highlander 
who, though severely wounded, was able to sit up and, while 
leaning on his arm, seemed to smile defiance on the English 
victors. " Wolfe," said the Duke, " shoot me that Highland 
scoundrel, who thus dares to look on us with such contempt and 
insolence." Wolfe is said to have replied, " My commission is at 
your royal highness's disposal, but I never can consent to kill a 
defenceless, wounded soldier." This story indicates the noble 
character of James Wolfe. 

Several years after this, the English tried to capture the town 
of Rochefort in France. The attempt was unsuccessful. The 
English government investigated the failure, and found out that 
the town could easily have been taken, if the English general in 
charge had followed the advice given by Wolfe. This at once 
made Wolfe prominent in the eyes of William Pitt, the prime 
minister. 

Shortly after this, Pitt began his operations in America against 
the French. Major General Amherst was appointed to command 
the forces in America, and Wolfe was made brigadier general 
under him. According to the plan of the campaign, the English 
were to seize Louisburg on the island of Cape Breton. When 



JAMES WOLFE. I 15 

the English troops attempted to land on the island, they found 
the shores so well defended that it seemed as if the attempt 
would have to be abandoned. Wolfe, however, was determined 
to succeed. He ran his boat towards the shore, sprang into the 
water and scrambled over rocks until he reached the land. This 
so encouraged his men, that they followed him and climbed a 
height of about twenty feet, attacked the French with their 
bayonets and put them to flight. Shortly after this Louisburg 
was taken mainly through the efforts of Wolfe. For this he is 
often spoken of as the Hero of Louisburg. He advised Amherst 
to pass up the St. Lawrence River, and to attack Quebec, but 
Amherst thought that this would be too hazardous, and decided 
to return to England. 

Soon after Wolfe had reached England, he received a letter 
from the great William Pitt asking him to come to London. 
Much to his surprise, Pitt informed him of a proposed attack on 
Quebec, and asked him to take charge of the army. Wolfe was 
only thirty-two years old, but Pitt raised him to the rank of 
major general. This was a great honor for so young a man. 
Wolfe was in very delicate health. A sea voyage always made 
him desperately ill, and he feared that he could not endure 
the hardships of a campaign in America. In addition to his ill- 
health, there were other reasons why he did not wish to under- 
take this campaign. His father was old and feeble and could 
live but a short while. His mother was also growing old. More- 
over, Wolfe was engaged to a young lady, Miss Lowther, and he 
had hoped,' on returning from Louisburg, that he might be allowed 
to remain in England long enough to make her his bride. But to 
Wolfe, the call of his country was more than love of ease, health, 
parents or sweetheart ; and when Pitt told him that England 
needed his services, he felt compelled to undertake the capture 
of Quebec. 

After a difficult voyage, Quebec was reached. The city is 



n6 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



situated on a hill about three hundred feet above the river. 
Opposed to Wolfe was the great French general, the Marquis de 
Montcalm. The lower town and the walls could probably be 
taken by assault, but it seemed almost impossible to capture the 
city upon the heights. Scarcely had Wolfe begun the siege, before 
he found that to take Quebec, defended by such a general as 
Montcalm, would be a terrible task. To add to the difficulties, 
Wolfe was taken seriously ill with a slow fever. But he was 




a man of wonderful perseverance and industry, and, though ill, 
he directed every attack and movement. For two months and a 
half the siege continued and seemed no nearer the end than at 
the beginning. Even Wolfe became discouraged a*nd thought 
that he would have to give up all hope of taking the city. Then 
it was that a desperate plan was conceived. 

To the west of Quebec are the Heights of Abraham, two hun- 
dred and fifty feet above the river. Believing that no one could 
climb these steep and rocky cliffs, Montcalm had not fortified 
them. Only a few pickets had been placed on their edge. Wolfe 



JAMES WOLFE. 117 

determined to try a night attack against these heights with the 
hope of reaching their summit and of drawing up his army upon 
the Plains of Abraham. 

On the day before the attack was made, Wolfe was very ill ; 
but he continued his preparations, saying: " While a man is able 
to do his duty, and can stand and hold his arms, it is infamous to 
retire." So in spite of his weakness, he persevered. Feeling that 
the struggle would cost him his life, he made his will and sent 
for his friend, Jervis. He took from his bosom the picture of his 
sweetheart, and gave it to his friend with the request that, in 
case of his death, it should be returned to her. 

On the night of the twelfth of September, 1759, the boats of 
the English were lowered from the ships and the soldiers entered 
them. Silently they glided up the river and passed the batteries 
of Quebec, without being discovered. The night was calm and 
dark. There was a deathlike stillness in the boats. Wolfe sat in 
the foremost one ; and, as they moved along, he softly repeated 
Gray's Elegy to his friend, Jervis. After he had repeated the 
lines : 

" The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power, 

And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave, 
Await alike the inevitable hour : 

The paths of glory lead but to the grave," 

he stopped and said, " I would rather be the author of that 
poem than take Quebec." 

The little boats, lighted by a few stars, went on till a cove 
in the river, now known as Wolfe's Cove, was reached. Here 
the troops silently landed. Th.e precipice was steep, and two men 
could hardly ascend it abreast. The troops began to climb the 
cliffs as cautiously as possible. When they were about half way 
up, a picket challenged them in French, asking, '" Who goes 
there?" An English captain who spoke French instantly re- 



Ii8 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



plied, "The French." The sentinel then inquired, "What regi- 
ment ? " and the captain replied, " The Queen's." The Frenchman 
was deceived, and the English passed on, and reached the top 
of the heights. Imagine Wolfe's joy, when, in the morning, he 
found himself with his army on the Plains of Abraham. 




THE DEATH OF GENERAL WOLFE. 



When Montcalm, the French general, was informed that the 
English were on the heights, he refused to believe it, but when the 
report came that it was certainly true, he at once attacked the Eng- 
lish forces. At about eight o'clock the battle began. The French 
rushed upon the English, who advanced to meet the charge. 
Wolfe led his men and forbade them to fire until the French were 
■within forty yards. His bright uniform rendered him very con- 



JAMES WOLFE. U9 

spicuous. One of the French soldiers singled him out and shot him. 
Though dangerously wounded, he ordered his soldiers to charge, 
and everywhere the French were driven back. Again Wolfe was 
shot and was no longer able to stand. To an officer near him he 
said, 4< Support me. Let not my brave soldiers see me drop. 
The day is ours. Keep it." Wolfe was then borne from the field. 
One of the officers proposed to send for the surgeon, but Wolfe 
replied, " It is needless. It's all over with me." As he lay 
upon the ground almost lifeless, the cry was heard, " They run ! 
They run ! " Like one aroused from a heavy sleep, Wolfe said, 
" Who, who run ?" An officer answered, u The enemy, sir — they 
give way everywhere." Wolfe then turned upon his side, and his 
dying words were, " Now God be praised. I die in peace." 

No man ever had a more glorious death. When Wolfe's great 
victory and death were known in England, the people, though 
thrilled with joy at the fall of Quebec, were bowed with sorrow 
because of the death of Wolfe who had fallen in the hour of 
triumph. The English did not forget him, but raised monuments 
in his memory in various parts of England. And well might they 
honor their great general, for he was also a true and noble man. 
To his mother he was ever dutiful and affectionate ; to his sweet- 
heart, constant ; to his friends, sincere ; and to his country, 
faithful even unto death. 

The victory of Quebec marked the destruction of the power of 
France in America. . Four years later peace was signed between 
England and France. France gave to England Canada and all 
her possessions east of the Mississippi ; to Spain, her possessions 
west of that river. Spain yielded Florida to England. Thus 
England came into possession of two-thirds of the continent of 
North America. 

Geography Study. Maps of the United States and Canada. Find 
Pittsburg (Pa.) and Louisburg (Cape Breton). How far is it from Cape 



120 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



Breton to Quebec ? How far from Alexandria (Va.) to Pittsburg ? 
What states lie between the Alleghany Mountains and the Mississippi 
River ? 

Review Questions. What great war did England have with 
France ? Tell of Braddock's defeat. Who was William Pitt ? What was 
his plan ? Tell of Wolfe's early life and his promotions in the army. 
What did he write his mother ? Tell of W T olfe at the Battle of Culloden. 
Why did the English fail to take Rochefort in France ? Tell of Wolfe at 
Louisburg. When Wolfe returned to England, why did Pitt send for him ? 
Why did Wolfe want to remain in England ? Tell of Wolfe's difficult task 
in trying to capture Quebec. How did he succeed in getting to the Plains 
of Abraham ? What did Wolfe say about Gray's Elegy ? Tell of Wolfe's 
death. How did the English honor Wolfe ? Why should they honor him ? 
What territory did England acquire by the victory at Quebec ? Write a 
composition on the character of Wolfe. 





th his Brother 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Daniel Boone 

1735-1820. 



The dispute between the English and the French over the 
great Mississippi valley was settled by the French and Indian 
War, which ended with the fall of Quebec. The treaty which 
followed granted to England all the land west of the Alleghanies 
and east of the Mississippi River. At this time these lands 
were great, unexplored forests and prairies, many parts of which 
no white man had ever seen. Scarcely had the war with France 
ended, however, before the pioneers were pushing west to settle 
in the unknown forests of the present states of Tennessee and 
Kentucky. 

In 1769 James Robertson, John Sevier and others made settle- 
ments which grew into the State of Tennessee. At first Ten- 
nessee was a part of North Carolina, but North Carolina ceded 
its claims to the Union, and Tennessee became a state in 1796. 

The honor of having settled Kentucky belongs chiefly to Daniel 
Boone, one of the greatest and most adventurous of our western 
pioneers. His bravery made him the hero of the West. 

Boone was born in a rude log cabin in Pennsylvania in 1735. 
He received very little education in the schoolroom, but in the 
woods he learned much, for they were both his book and his 



122 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

teacher. No Indian could handle a rifle, or find his way through 
the vast forest, or search out the retreat of game more readily 
than young Boone. 

When Daniel was about eighteen, his father moved to North 
Carolina and settled on the Yadkin River. Here Boone met 
Rebecca Bryan and married her. When he was not busy on his 
farm, he spent his spare time in hunting, which was his favorite 
pursuit. In 1769, in company with several friends, he explored 
the valleys of the Holston and Clinch Rivers, entered the present 
State of Kentucky and reached the valley of the Kentucky River. 
Adventure was his ruling passion ; and this trip made him anxious 
to learn more of the great unexplored lands west of the Alle- 
ghanies. 

But Boone was influenced by other things than mere love of 
adventure. He was a plain man and was satisfied with his log 
cabin and his deerskin clothes. At this time the English governor 
of North Carolina had introduced the fashionable ways of living 
which prevailed in England, and the people were being heavily 
taxed to support the governor in his extravagances. These 
conditions in North Carolina encouraged Boone to explore 
Kentucky with the view of taking his family into that great 
wilderness. 

So in 1769, with five companions, he started upon his journey 
of exploration. Think of these daring men as they crossed the 
mountains into the wilderness ! They wore hunting-shirts made 
of deerskin. Their trousers were made of the same material. 
Their undergarments were of coarse cotton, and around their 
bodies were leather belts. Each one carried a tomahawk on his 
right side, and a hunting knife, powder horn and bullet pouch on 
his left. But above all, each man bore upon his shoulder his 
trusty rifle. As they traveled, their garments became soiled and 
torn. The weather was stormy; and if they had not been hearty 
and robust, they would have died from fatigue and exertion. 



DANIEL BOONE. 



123 



After six months, during which time they explored much of 
eastern Kentucky, they were suddenly surprised by some Indians 
and taken prisoners. Boone understood the Indian character 
well. He knew that the best way to win the favor of the 
Indians was to appear satisfied. So he pretended to be greatly 




PIONEERS IN THE FOREST ATTACKED BY INDIANS. 



interested in whatever they did, and was always ready to help 
them. After a few days the Indians ceased to guard him care- 
fully ; and while they were fast asleep one night, Boone quietly 
got up and whispered to one of his companions named Stewart 
to follow him. They ran rapidly through the wilderness, and 
when the Indians awoke, they were far away. 

After thus escaping from their captors, Boone and Stewart 
went wandering through the woods hoping to avoid the Indians, 



124 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

and to get back to North Carolina. One day they saw in the 
forest the forms of two men. Not doubting that they were 
Indians, they grasped their rifles to shoot ; but, before firing, 
Boone called out, " Hello ! strangers ; who are you ? " The 
answer came back, " White men and friends," and to his great 
delight Boone beheld his brother and another adventurer, from 
North Carolina, who had come to look for him. 

Boone returned to North Carolina, but he was not satisfied to 
live there; so, in 1773, he started for Kentucky with his fam- 
ily. Their beds, clothes and provisions were strapped on pack 
horses, while they drove their cattle before them. On tile 
journey they were joined by five families, making in all a party 
of forty. Hardly had they touched the borders of Kentucky 
when they were attacked by a party of Indians. In the battle 
which ensued six of the men with Boone were killed, one of them 
being his eldest son, James, a boy of seventeen. For a while 
Boone was so disheartened that he turned back, and settled on 
the Clinch river, which flows from Virginia into Tennessee. 

While he was here, a messenger came to Boone from Governor 
Dunmore, of Virginia, asking him to enter the service of Vir- 
ginia. He did so and was made captain of a company in the 
army of General Andrew Lewis. Lewis led his troops across the 
Alleghanies and defeated the Indians at Point Pleasant, where 
the Ohio and the Kanawha rivers join. 

Boone then returned to his family, and, in 1775, entered 
Kentucky and built the town of Boonesborough. He says that 
his wife and daughters were the first white women that ever 
stood on the banks of the Kentucky River. Soon other families 
arrived, and the settlement grew. Many settlers came from 
Virginia, and among them was George Rogers Clark. Hardly 
had Boone reached Kentucky when news came that the col- 
onies east of the Alleghanies were at war with England. The 
Indians, urged by the English in Canada to fight the Americans 



DANIEL BOONE. 



12 




DANIEL BOONE. 



along the Ohio River, were constantly raiding- the settlements of 
the whites. The early settlers of Kentucky were, therefore, sub- 
ject to great danger of being surprised by the Indians and put to 
death. Their little towns were built 
like forts so that they could more 
easily defend themselves. But in 
spite of all precautions, many set- 
tlers were captured by the Indians 
and often the captives were scalped. 

Living as we do in these modern 
days with all the conveniences of 
life, it is hard for us to realize what 
the pioneers had to suffer. One 
thing greatly needed by the settlers 
in Kentucky was salt. There was a 
place on the Licking River where it 
could be gotten, and Boone was sent with thirty men to get a sup- 
ply for the settlement. While he was boiling water to extract the 
salt, he was surprised by Indians and taken prisoner. They took 
him across the Ohio River towards the Great Lakes. The 
Indians soon began to admire Boone because he could shoot 
a rifle so well, and Blackfish, a Shawnese chief, adopted 
him as his son. The adoption was according to the Indian 
ceremony. His hair was pulled out by a slow process, except a 
tuft on the crown of his head, which was dressed up with ribbon 
and feathers. He was next taken to the river and washed and 
rubbed in order that his white blood might be removed. His 
head and face were then painted with various colors, and the 
ceremony of Adoption was closed with a grand feast and the 
usual pipe-smoking. 

While living among the Indians, Boone was constantly hoping 
to escape. One day he heard the Indians planning a raid on 
Boonesborough, so he determined if possible to save the little 



126 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



town and his family. He escaped from the Indians, and reached 
Boonesborough in five days, traveling more than one hundred and 
sixty miles. During that time he ate but one meal, which was a 
turkey he shot after crossing the Ohio River. Until he crossed 
that river, he was not safe, for he knew that the Indians would 
follow him. Shortly after he reached home, Boonesborough was 
attacked by the Indians ; but Boone had arrived in time to have 
the place fortified, and the Indians were driven back. Thus 




w 



THE DEFENSE OF BOONESBOROUGH. 



Boone had saved one of the chief settlements in Kentucky from 
destruction. 

Boone had many other adventures, and many stories are 
told of him. It is said that, on one occassion, he was in his 
tobacco house hanging up some tobacco, which was quite dry. 
He was in the top of the barn, when four stout Indians with 
guns entered the door and called out : " Now, Boone, we got 
you. You no get away more. We carry you off this time. 
You no cheat us any more." Boone looked down, and he 



DANIEL BOONE. 12? 

saw four guns pointed at his breast. He recognized the Indians 
as the same who had taken him prisoner when lie was making 
salt. He very calmly and pleasantly replied, " Ah, old friends, 
glad to see you." He was told to come down. To this he 
readily consented, but asked the Indians to wait until he fin- 
ished moving his tobacco. While moving his tobacco, he talked 
with them about the Indians whom he had known near the 
Great Lakes and promised to give them his tobacco when it was 
cured. While carrying on this conversation he was getting 
together a number of sticks of very dry tobacco. Suddenly he 
jumped upon the Indians with the dry tobacco, which crumbled 
and filled their mouths and eyes, so blinding them that they 
could not see to shoot him as he ran out and hastened to his 
cabin, thus making his escape. 

For his services in fighting the Indians, Boone received large 
grants of land, but he neglected to record the deeds for the 
lands which he held, so he finally lost them all. When he lost 
his lands in Kentucky, he decided to go to the wild West, 
which embraced, in those days, all of the territory west of the 
Mississippi River, known as Louisiana. Boone had heard of 
the great fertility of Louisiana; so, in 1795, he crossed the Mis- 
sissippi River and settled in what is now the State of Missouri, 
not far from St. Louis. At that time, all of that region was 
under the control of Spain. The Spanish government, hearing 
of the bravery of Boone, made him the commandant of St. 
Louis, and granted him about nine thousand acres of land on the 
Missouri River. In a few years Louisiana was transferred by 
Spain to the French, from whom the United States bought it 
in 1803. 

Into this great territory soon came all of Boone's family and 
many other American settlers. Again Boone lost his lands, be- 
cause he failed to get the proper legal papers. He was now an old 
man. He had wandered through the wildernesses of Kentucky, 



128 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

crossed the Mississippi, and was probably about the first citizen of 
the United States to settle on the Missouri River. He had left 
Kentucky owing debts, and, being an honest man, his desire was 
to pay all he owed. He returned to his old-time occupation of 
hunting, and one winter was so successful that he was able to go 
to Kentucky and pay all his bills ; but on his return to St. 
Louis he had only fifty cents. To some friends he said, " Now 
I am ready and willing to die. I am relieved from the burden 
which has so long oppressed me. I have paid all of my debts 
and no one will say when I am gone : ' Boone was a dishonest 
man,' I am perfectly willing to die." 

A little later he asked the legislature of Kentucky to restore 
his lands, and to appeal to Congress in his favor. The Kentucky 
legislature at once presented his claim to Congress, and, in 1814, 
Congress passed an act giving Boone about one thousand acres of 
land in Missouri. Boone was then seventy-nine years old, but 
his mind was still vigorous. He lived six years longer. During 
that time Missouri had grown rapidly, and, when he died in 1820, 
that territory was applying to the United States for admission as 
a state into the Union. 

The Western states will always remember Boone. He 
pointed the way through the wilderness into Kentucky and then 
crossed the Mississippi into the far West. Boone was honest, 
brave and courageous. He loved his family, his children and his 
grandchildren. The greatest pleasure of his old age was to make 
for his grandchildren powder horns, and to teach them how to 
handle the rifle. 

Twenty-five years after his death, his remains were taken from 
the banks of the Missouri and brought to Frankfort, Kentucky. 
Here they were re-interred with imposing ceremonies. Every 
county in Kentucky sent representatives, and many people from 
the West were present to honor the pioneer of the great Missis- 
sippi valley. 



DANIEL BOONE. I 29 

Geography Study. Map of the United States. Find Tennessee, 
Kentucky and Missouri. Locate the following rivers : Yadkin, Clinch, 
Holston, Kentucky, Ohio, Kanawha and Missouri. Find Boonesborough, 
Frankfort and St. Louis. How far is it from Boonesborough to St. Louis? 
How far is it from the Yadkin River to Boonesborough ? 

Review Questions. How was the Mississippi valley acquired 
from the French ? Who settled in Tennessee ? Who led the way to 
Kentucky ? Tell of Boone's early life. Tell of his residence in North 
Carolina. What led Boone to explore Kentucky? Describe his trip of 
exploration. Tell of his capture by the Indians and his escape. Who 
came to look for him ? Tell of his trip towards Kentucky to form a settle- 
ment. Why did he go back ? Tell of his service with General Andrew 
Lewis. What town did Boone build in Kentucky ? Tell of the troubles 
with Indians. Why was Boone sent to Licking River, and what happened 
to him ? Describe his experiences among the Indians, and his adoption 
by Blackfish. Tell of his escape and return to Boonesborough. Describe 
his escape from the tobacco barn. How did Boone come to lose all 
his land ? Tell of his life in Missouri. Tell why you think Boone was an 
honest man. What did Congress do for Boone ? Tell of his old age and 
death. How did Kentucky honor his memory ? 




A POWDER HORN. 




Otis Discovers th 



CHAPTER XVII. 



r James Otis, 



1725-1783. 



ENGLAND made herself supreme in North America by driving 
France from Canada. She knew that America was a great 
country and would soon contain a large population. She hoped 
that her merchants would grow rich by trading with the Ameri- 
can colonies ; she also wanted to tax the colonies to pay the ex- 
penses of English soldiers and office-holders who were to control 
the colonial governments. 

In the clays of Oliver Cromwell, the government of England 
(to enrich her merchants) passed laws known as Navigation Acts. 
These laws prohibited the people of America from buying goods 
unless they were brought to the colonies in English vessels. 
Moreover, American merchants who wanted to ship tobacco, fish, 
or other articles abroad, had to send them in English vessels ; 
and, if they brought sugar from the West Indies or cloth from 
Europe, only English vessels must be used. The colonies re- 
garded these laws as harsh, and they often disobeyed them, 
claiming that England had no right to make them. The colonists, 
especially the New Englanders, built vessels of their own, and 
often violated the English laws of trade, which greatly angered 
the English government. 



JAMES OTIS. 131 

England also made the colonists pay a tax on certain articles, 
like sugar or tea, which were brought to America. The tax 
which gave most trouble was on sugar and molasses. Every 
gallon of molasses brought into the colonies was taxed about ten 
cents. The New England merchants frequently escaped this 
tax by secretly bringing molasses into the country — in other 
words, they became smugglers. 

The English officers, in their efforts to prevent smuggling, 
set to work to find where the smuggled molasses was hid. To 
do this, they had to search the houses of the best citizens of 
Boston. The officers therefore applied to the law courts for per- 
mission to search from house to house for smuggled goods, and 
frequently they entered the homes of persons upon whom no 
suspicion rested. The court allowed this to be done on a sort of 
general search warrant, or " writ of assistance," as it was called. 
This, of course, was regarded by the people of Boston as an in- 
sult to their honesty, and they determined not to submit tamely 
to such treatment. So they went into the courts to prevent the 
officers from searching everywhere for smuggled goods. The 
man who argued the case for the citizens of Boston was James 
Otis. 

James Otis was born in Massachusetts in 1725. His father 
was a prominent lawyer, of a sturdy New England family. He 
gave James a good education at Harvard College, at which insti- 
tution he was a diligent student. He received the Master of 
Arts degree, and soon afterwards began the study of law in the 
office of Jeremiah Gridley, one of the best-known lawyers in all 
New England. Gridley was afterwards made Attorney General 
of Massachusetts ; and, in the case which made Otis famous, he 
represented the English government against young Otis. Otis 
was a splendid speaker, and soon made a great reputation as a 
lawyer. On one occasion he went to Nova Scotia to defend 
three men who were accused of being pirates. He pleaded so 



H2 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



eloquently that they were acquitted. For this case Otis is said 

to have received the largest fee ever given a lawyer in those days. 

Because he defended alleged pirates, you are not to imagine 

that he was ready to 
| take the side of a 
guilty man. The story 
is told that once a cli- 
ent of his had him 
bring suit against a 
man for a certain sum 
of money. The man 
claimed that he had 
paid the money, but 



had failed to get a re- 
ceipt for it. Otis was 
about to win the case, 
when he saw among 
the papers of his cli- 
ent a receipt for the 
money in question, 
showing that it had 
been paid. Otis at 
once went into court 
and asked that the 
case be dismissed, say- 
ing that he was satis- 
fied that his client had 
already gotten what 
was due him. 

In 1 761, because of his great reputation as a lawyer, the 
people of Boston asked him to make the fight against the 
general search system then prevailing in that city. On this 
occasion Otis made the greatest speech of his life, and defeated 




FANEUIL HALL, "THE CRADLE OF LIBERTY 
(This building was dedicated by Otis in 1763.) 



JAMES OTIS. 



133 



his old law teacher, Jeremiah Gridley ; but Gridley was a noble- 
hearted man, and he was really delighted to see the success of 
his pupil. In his famous speech Otis argued that it was tyranny 
on the part of the English government to enter and search the 
houses of upright and honest citizens, and that England had no 
right to tax the colonies, unless they should have representation 
in the English Parliament that 
made the laws. This cry of " Tax- 
ation without Representation " af- 
terwards became the keynote of 
the American Revolution. The 
Revolution had not yet begun, 
but Otis had laid down the prin- 
ciple on which it was to be fought. 
For five hours Otis pleaded for 
the rights of the people. His 
speech was so earnest that the 
court was afraid to decide against 
him. It rendered no decision, 
which was* equivalent to a victory 
for Otis. English officers did not 
again search the houses of Boston 
citizens for smuggled goods. fAMES OTIS 

The rest of the life of Otis was 
very sad. His defense of the people of Boston made him the 
most prominent man in Massachusetts. He was offered many 
positions, and was several times elected to the legislature, in 
which body he served with distinction. During the Revolution 
he fell into delicate health, and after a while lost his mind. For 
this reason, he did not take a prominent part in the Revolution. 

Gradually his condition grew worse, and he seemed to be 
laboring under a great load. One day he said to Mrs. Warren, 
his sister, " My dear sister, I hope that, when God Almighty in 




1*34 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

his righteous providence shall take me out of time into eternity, 
it will be by a flash of lightning." Not very long after that a 
heavy cloud suddenly arose, and the greater part of the family 
was seated in a room waiting for the storm to pass. Otis, with 
his cane in one hand, stood against the post of the door which 
led from this room into the hall. He was just about to tell the 
company a story, when an explosion took place which shook the 
very earth. Without a struggle, he fell dead. The flash of 
lishtnincr that killed him was the first that came from the clouds, 
and, wonderful to say, no other member of the family was 
injured. In his death the wish of Otis had been gratified. 

America will never forget the name of Otis. He it was who 
first laid down the principle that the English should not tax the 
American colonies without giving them representation in the 
English Parliament. He showed us what was our duty and our 
right. 

Geography Study. Map of New England. Where is Boston ? 
How large is Boston ? What seaport towns are situated near Boston ? 
Map of North America. How far is it from Boston to the West Indies ? 
Mow would you make the trip ? Find Nova Scotia. How far is it from 
Boston ? 

Review Questions. What possibilities did England see in 
America ? What two things did she want to do ? What were the naviga- 
tion acts ? What tax did England put on molasses brought to America ? 
Explain a "writ of assistance." What is smuggling ? Tell of Otis and 
his education. What case did he have in Nova Scotia ? Tell a story 
which shows that he was an honest man. What famous case did he under- 
take for the citizens of Boston ? Tell of his argument. What did the 
court do ? What great misfortune befell Otis ? Tell of his death. Why 
will the name of Otis be remembered ? 







Henry Pleading in Hanover Courthouse. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Patrick Henry. 

1736-1799. 



In 1765 England undertook to impose a new tax upon the 
American people. The law fixing this tax was called the Stamp 
Act, because it required that stamps should be bought from the 
government, and be placed upon all newspapers, published books 
and legal documents. The passage of this law aroused the col- 
onies from Maine to Georgia. The people cried out that they 
would not stand it, and that England must repeal the law, as she 
had no right to raise a tax within the colonies. One of the 
strongest opponents of the Stamp Act was Patrick Henry, who, 
Jefferson declared, was the greatest orator that ever lived. 

Patrick Henry was born in Hanover County, Virginia. He 
never received a college education, but was taught by his father, 
from whom he learned some Latin and mathematics. Voung 
Henry was not an apt student, so at an early age he stopped 
school and became a merchant ; but he had such little fitness for 
business that he failed. As a merchant, he began to discuss 
politics and the affairs of his country with the persons who came 
to his store. By these discussions he learned much about the 
condition of Virginia. When only nineteen, he married, and his 



136 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

father and father-in-law placed him on a small farm with two 
slaves. As a farmer Henry was also unsuccessful ; so he again 
became a merchant, and again failed. 

Henry was at this time an awkward, ungainly young man. 
His manners were poor, and his dress neglected. He had every 
appearance of a lazy man. His repeated failures caused his 
friends to fear that he would never succeed ; but these failures 
had been due to the fact that he had not yet turned his attention 
to that for which he was suited. 

At last Henry decided to be a lawyer. Many of his friends 
believed that in so deciding he had made a great mistake ; for 
the idea of a married man, with little education, studying law 
seemed ridiculous to them. At this time Thomas Jefferson, 
a boy seventeen years of age and a student at William and Mary 
College in Williamsburg, went to spend his Christmas holi- 
days with a friend, Colonel Dandridge, in Hanover County. 
There he met Patrick Henry, with whom he had several conver- 
sations, and for whom he formed a strong attachment. 

After reading law for a short time, Henry went to Williams- 
burg to stand his examination before the judges of Virginia. 
Several of the judges did not believe that Henry had studied 
enough law to practice ; but though he had but a slight knowledge 
of law, he had such good practical ideas, and could reason so well 
on a law point, that they consented to sign his license, and he 
was admitted to the bar. 

Hardly had he begun to practice when the famous Parsons' 
Case came up in Hanover County. In those days the Church 
was supported by the State, and the salaries of the preachers were 
paid out of the taxes collected from the people. These salaries 
were at first paid in tobacco, but as tobacco increased in value 
the people wanted to pay the preachers in money. The amount 
of money to be paid was to equal the value of the tobacco before 
it increased in price, in other words the preachers were to receive 



PATRICK HENRY. 



137 



their usual salaries. This demand of the people was passed as a 
law by the Virginia House of Burgesses, but no act of the Bur- 
gesses became a binding law in Virginia until it had been sent to 
England and approved by the 
king. The king disapproved of 
this law, because he said that 
the preachers should have all 
the tobacco. In the meantime 
the Virginians had gone on as if 
their law was binding, and had 
not paid the tobacco to the 
preachers. 

Since the king would not 
approve of the law, it was clear 
that the preachers were en- 
titled to all their pay, and they 
therefore brought suit in Han- 
over County for the rest of their 
salaries. The people determined 
to oppose the ministers, so, when 

the case came up, Patrick Henry was secured to appear as the 
people's champion. The case was tried at Hanover Courthouse 
(1763), and Henry's father was one of the judges. Young Henry 
had never made a speech ; and, when he rose to speak against the 
preachers, he was so very awkward that the people hung their 
heads in shame, and his father dared not look up. Soon Henry 
straightened up, and his countenance began to glow. His action 
became graceful and bold, and in his voice there was a peculiar 
charm. The words that fell from his lips were so eloquent 
and startling that his hearers stood unnerved. It is said that he 
made their blood run cold, and their hair stand on end. Henry's 
plea was so forcible, that, when the jury brought in a verdict of 
damages, they gave the parsons only one penny. This decision 




PATRICK HENRY. 



I38 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

of the jury was in one sense against the law, and it meant that 
the Virginians were unwilling for England to interfere with them 
in the making of their laws. Patrick Henry had asserted that 
the king had no right to set aside a law of the Virginia House 
of Burgesses, and that the Church ought not be supported by 
the State. 

Two years later came the Stamp Act (1765). The whole 
country was aroused. Henry was a member of the House of 
Burgesses from the County of Louisa. He was angry because 
the English Parliament had undertaken to levy a tax within the 
colonies. For a while he sat quietly in the House of Burgesses, 
and wondered what Virginia should say about the Stamp Act. 
Before him was an old law book. He opened it and upon one of 
the blank pages he wrote five resolutions. In them he declared 
that the right to tax Virginia did not belong to England, but to 
Virginia's own legislative body, the House of Burgesses. 

As soon as these resolutions were introduced, many of the 
members felt that their passage would anger the English govern- 
ment, and for that reason opposed them. Then Henry rose to 
his feet, and words of sublime eloquence fell from his lips. 
Thomas Jefferson was then studying law in Williamsburg, and on 
that day, when Mr. Henry rose to speak, he leaned against the 
door post which led into the hall of the House of Burgesses. 
Jefferson was held spell-bound by Henry's speech. 

Henry's argument was that England should repeal the Stamp 
Act at once, as it would endanger the English government and 
might produce a revolution. At the close of his speech he said, 
" Caesar had his Brutus; Charles I., his Cromwell; and George 

III " Many of the members rose to their feet at this point 

and cried, " Treason, Treason," but Henry only paused and said : 
" George III. may profit by their example. If this be treason, 
make the most of it." The resolutions were passed by a majority 
of just one vote. 



PATRICK HENRY. 



139 




F>om a painting by Rothermel. 

PATRICK HENRY MAKING HIS CELEBRATED SPEECH TO THE BURGESSES 



Patrick Henry was a far-seeing man, and he knew that Eng- 
land was going to force a war upon the colonies. His protest 
against the Stamp Act was the beginning of the Revolution 
which ended in our independence. 



140 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



In other colonies protests were made, and England repealed 
the Stamp Act, but still insisted on the right to tax the colonies. 
The colonies as firmly insisted that they should not be taxed 
by Parliament. In order that the colonies might be made 
to grant the right of taxation, England placed a small tax 
upon all tea brought to America. The colonies determined that 




COLONISTS BURNING THE STAMP SELLER IN EFFIGY. 

this taxed tea should not be landed, and in several harbors they 
seized cargoes of it and threw it overboard. At Boston many of 
the citizens, disguised as Indians, boarded a ship laden with tea 
and threw it all into the harbor. This is the famous " Boston Tea 
Party." England passed an act saying that the Boston Harbor 
should be closed, and that no vessels should enter it. . At once 
the people of New England prepared for war. All the colonies 



PATRICK HENRY. 141 

felt that England's laws were oppressive ; so they held a Congress 
to protest against the action of the English government. To this 
Congress Virginia sent Patrick Henry as one of her members. 
England paid no attention to the protests of the colonies, and 
Henry saw that war was coming. 

In March, 1775, the Virginia Convention met in old St. John's 
Church, Richmond. Their purpose was to decide what action 
Virginia had better take, since Lord Dunmore, the royal governor 
of Virginia, was determined to act the part of a tyrant toward the 
people of the colony. Henry was a member of this convention. 
He moved that the colony of Virginia should at once raise troops 
to defend itself against England. His resolutions were opposed 
by some members on the ground that there was no war with 
England. Henry spoke in defence of his resolutions and closed 
his speech by saying : " Our brethren are already in the field. 
Why stand we here idle? What is it that the gentlemen wish? 
What would they have ? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to 
be purchased at the price of chains and slavery ? Forbid it, 
Almighty God ; I know not what course others may take, but, as 
for me, give me liberty or give me death." His speech carried 
all before him. The resolutions were passed, troops were at once 
raised, and Henry was made commander-in-chief of the Virginia 
forces. 

He, indeed, spoke as a prophet when he said: "The next 
gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of 
resounding arms." Hardly had Virginia begun to raise troops 
when the news came that the first battle of the Revolution had 
been fought at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. 

When Virginia threw off the yoke of England in 1776, Patrick 
Henry became her first governor. For three years he held this 
responsible position and showed that he was a man of power and 
ability. After the Revolutionary War was over, he was again 
(1784) called to the governor's chair and served for two years. 



142 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 




AN EARLY REVOLU 
TIONARY FLAG. 



At the close of the Revolutionary War, the thirteen states 
were united under a very weak form of government. To 
strengthen this government, a convention was called in 1787, and 
it drew up a new plan of government, which 
is the present Constitution of the United 
States. When Virginia's Convention met in 
178S to pass upon the Constitution, Henry 
was a member of the body. He opposed the 
adoption of the Constitution of the United 
States, claiming that the day would come 
when many of the states would regret that 
they had ever entered the Union, because 
the United States government would over- 
ride the state governments. He prophesied the Revolution, and 
we know now that he was equally a prophet, when he claimed 
that the Constitution of the United States would give trouble; 
for the failure to understand the Constitution produced the ter- 
rible War between the States. 

For the last four years of his life, Henry lived on his farm 
near Charlotte Courthouse.* In 1799 our country was in a 
critical condition, and it looked as if the union might be broken 
up. The Virginia legislature had passed some resolutions com- 
plaining of Congress. Henry thought that the times called for the 
best men to enter public life ; and though he had declined many 
important positions, he now felt that his state needed his 
services in the legislature. So in the spring of 1799 he stood 
for election to the legislature from the County of Charlotte. He 
was elected ; but before the time came for the legislature to 
meet he died. 

Henry was one of our greatest men ; he was true to his 



* Henry lived in many places. Up to the Revolution his home was in Hanover, 
but afterwards he lived in Williamsburg, in Henry, Chesterfield, Prince Edward, 
Campbell and Charlotte counties respectively. 



PATRICK HENRY. 



H3 



country ; ho loved his state ; he was unselfish, and deeply re- 
ligious in his nature. Would that we had more men of his 
stamp — men of force, sincerity and faith in God. 

Geography Study. Map of Virginia. Find Hanover Courthouse, 
Williamsburg, Richmond and Charlotte Courthouse. How far is Williams- 
burg from Richmond ? How far is Charlotte Courthouse from Richmond ? 
Map of New England. Find Concord and Lexington. In what direction 
are they from Boston? How far is it from Boston to Richmond, Va.? 

Review Questions. What was the Stamp Act ? Tell of the 
early life of Patrick Henry. Describe his appearance. Tell of his ad- 
mission to the bar. How did Jefferson come to meet him ? What was 
the Parsons' Case ? Tell of Henry's defence of the people. Why were 
the damages only one penny? How did the colonies receive the Stamp 
Act? Tell of Henry's resolutions against the Stamp Act? What did Henry 
say in this speech? What student at Williamsburg heard this speech? 
When England repealed the Stamp Act, what other law was passed? 
What was the Boston Tea Party ? What law was passed concerning 
Boston harbor? Tell of Henry's resolutions for raising troops. What did 
he say in his speech at St. John's Church? Where was the first battle of 
the Revolution fought? To what office in Virginia was Henry elected? 
Why did Henry oppose the Constitution of the United States? How did 
he spend the latter part of his life? Tell of his last election and death. 
Why was Henry called a prophet ? 




m;. 




George Washington. 

1732-1799. 

Otis and Henry told the colonies what their 
rights were ; but it was the great Virginian, 
George Washington, who, as the leader of the 
armies of the colonies, won their independence. 
George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, 
Virginia, February 22, 1732. The house in which he was born 
stood near the Potomac River, and was a low, single-story build- 
ing, with a large chimney at each end. His father was Augustine 
Washington, and his mother's maiden name was Mary Ball. 
George was his mother's oldest child. When he was only eleven 
years old, his father died, and the responsibility of his education 
fell upon his mother. Nor was she unequal to the task. She was 
religious, firm in character, and stern, but kind. 

Washington was sent to school to an old man named Hobby, 
who taught him reading, writing and arithmetic. Afterwards he 
went to school to a Mr. Williams from whom he learned some- 
thing about land-surveying. Among the boys Washington was 
a leader both in his studies and upon the playground. He used 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



H5 



to drill the boys as if they were soldiers, and would divide them 
into armies, one of which was usually commanded by himself. 
He excelled his playmates in running, jumping and wrestling. 
Judging from the size of his hands and feet, Washington must 
have been very strong; for, when 
he was a man, he wore number 
thirteen boots, and his gloves had 
to be made to order. 

When a boy, Washington took 
great delight in riding wild horses. 
His mother owned a fine sorrel colt 
which was so wild that no one 
could " break " him. One morning 
George went with some boys to 
the pasture to ride " the sorrel." 
The boys helped him to catch and 
bridle the colt, and in an instant 
George was on his back. The 
horse reared and plunged and did 
his best to throw his rider, but all 
in vain. The colt, in a last effort 
to throw Washington, made a high 
jump, which burst a blood-vessel, and in a little while the sorrel 
lay dead. Mrs. Washington valued her beautiful young horse 
very highly, and it was hard for George to tell her what had 
happened ; but, like a man, he told her the truth. Though his 
mother was angry, she did not reprove her son, because she was 
proud to know that he would tell the truth under such trying 
circumstances. 

In his sixteenth year Washington left school, and spent the 
winter near Alexandria, at Mount Vernon, the home of his 
brother Lawrence. Here he became acquainted with Lord 
Fairfax, an old bachelor, who owned, in the northwestern part 




THE MONUMENT AT WASHINGTON'S 
BIRTHPLACE. 



146 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



of Virginia, a tract of land that extended across the Blue Ridge 
Mountains through the Shenandoah valley into the present 
state of West Virginia, — a vast territory from which twenty-one 
counties have been made. Lord Fairfax was greatly pleased 

with Washington, and employed 
him to survey these wild lands. 
Washington's experience as a sur- 
veyor in these back-woods taught 
him a great deal about the Indian 
customs and frontier life, and this 
knowledge served him in good stead 
in after years when he had to fight 
the Indians. 

At this time, the thirteen Eng- 
lish colonies were confined to the 
Atlantic coast. France owned Can- 
ada, and claimed the Ohio valley. 
The English also claimed the land 
along the Ohio River. The French 
built forts in the Ohio valley with 
the determination to hold that ter- 
ritory. Governor Dinwiddie of Vir- 
ginia sent Washington, in 1753, with 
a message to the commander of 
the French forces, asking why the 
French were taking possession of territory belonging to the 
English. The French refused to leave the country, and a war 
broke out between them and the English settlers, in which the 
Indians took part. This war was known as the French and 
Indian War. 

The English government sent troops under General Brad- 
dock to aid the Americans in their attempt to drive the French 
from the Ohio valley. Braddock was a brave soldier, but knew 





English Pos3es3ioD3__E^ 'SOI C? 3 y 
French Claims I 1 ^^| j\ s ft 



THE ENGLISH COLONIAL TERRI- 
TORY IN I75O. 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 147 

nothing about Indian warfare. When he arrived in Virginia, he 
talked very boastfully of what he could do with his " regulars," 
and seemed to despise the Virginian troops which were to help 
him in the campaign. Washington was a colonel in the Vir- 
ginia militia, and tried to advise Braddock, but the English 
general paid little heed to advice given by Washington. 

Where Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, now stands, was Fort Du- 
quesne, which was strongly guarded by the French and Indians. 
Braddock determined to seize this fort. He marched through 

o 

the wilderness with flags flying and drums- beating. This was a 
great mistake, as he should have gone quietly, in order that the 
Indians and French might not know of his approach. When 
Braddock's army reached the neighborhood of Fort Duquesne, 
it was suddenly attacked " from the right, left and front at the 
same time." The enemy were hidden in the woods, and the 
English regulars did not know in what direction to fire. They 
were being killed in large numbers, when Washington asked Brad- 
dock to order his troops to take to the woods and fire from 
behind the trees as the Indians did Braddock was very angry 
with Washington for advising him and replied, " What ! a Vir- 
ginia colonel teach a British general how to fight ! " Braddock 
fought bravely and was killed. Washington had two horses shot 
under him, and four bullets went through his coat. It is said 
that an Indian shot at him fifteen times without effect ; then 
he stopped firing, thinking that Washington's life was charmed. 
The loss of the English and Virginia troops was heavy, and but 
for Washington the army would have been totally destroyed. 

Shortly after this, Washington met a " charming young 
widow," Mrs. Martha Custis, at the home of Major Chamber- 
lay ne, in New Kent County, Virginia. The story goes that 
once, while on his way to Williamsburg on important business, 
he stopped to take dinner with Major Chamberlayne. As he 
was anxious to be in Williamsburg by the next morning, he 



148 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



ordered his servant, Bishop, to have his horse ready after dinner. 
Accordingly, when the noon meal was over, Bishop was seen at 
the front gate holding his master's horse ; but Washington was 

so captivated by Mrs. Custis that 
he forgot his urgent business, and 
left his servant to hold the horse 
all the afternoon. At last he rose 
to go, but his host told him that 
he was never willing for any of his 
guests to leave after sunset, and 
Washington was prevailed upon to 
spend the night. The next morn- 
ing, Bishop again appeared at the 
\ front gate with his master's horse, 

but it was late in the morning 
before the start was made to 
Williamsburg. On his return 
from Williamsburg, Washington 
stopped to see Mrs. Custis at her 
home, and before he left she had promised to be his wife. 

Some months later they were married at old St. Peter's Church 
in New Kent County. After the marriage, "the bride and her 
lady friends " were borne to her home in a carriage drawn by six 
horses, on which sat negro drivers dressed in uniforms. The 
groom, accompanied by other gentlemen on horseback, rode be- 
side the coach on his fine charger. 

Soon after his marriage, Washington made his home at Mount 
Vernon, a fine estate, which he inherited from his brother. He 
enjoyed the free and easy life of a planter, and when not en- 
gaged in the services of his country, he took delight in looking 
after his plantation. He rode over his farm each day to see if 
everything was being properly done by his many slaves and their 
overseers. He lived plainly. Sometimes he would ride out in 




MARTHA WASHINGTON. 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



149 



his carriage with his wife and step-children to visit a neighbor 
or to attend a ball. He was frequently a visitor at the home 
of George Mason, who wrote the famous Virginia Bill of 
Rights. 

Washington was living thus, when English oppression brought 
on the War of Independence. He felt that his country called 




ST. PETER S CHURCH. 



him, so he left his pleasant home to take part in public affairs. 
He was a member of the Continental Congress (1774). which 
protested against the oppressive English laws. The Congress 
met again in May, 1775, but before it came together, the people 
of Massachusetts had fought the first battle of the Revolution at 
Concord and Lexington. When Congress met, it decided that 
the war against England should be carried on by all the colonies, 
so at once it provided for the raising of troops. Washington was 
made commander-in-chief, and, though his wish was to decline, 
he felt that his country was to be considered more than any 



150 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

personal desire ; so he accepted the command of the American 
forces. In July, 1775, he assumed the leadership of the army 
that had collected at Cambridge, Massachusetts. Only a few 
days before, the Battle of Bunker Hill had been fought. Though 
the Americans had lost the day, they were not discouraged ; and 
when Washington stood under the old elm tree at Cambridge, 
and took command of the army, the soldiers were cheerful and 
ready to fight. 

Washington at once fortified Dorchester Heights, and shut up 
the English under Gage in Boston, which city the English were 
forced to evacuate in March, 1776. The English then planned 
to get possession of New York, and to establish connection with 
Canada. Washington attacked them at Long Island, and was 
defeated. A little later he carried his shattered army into New 
Jersey and then into Pennsylvania. The country was greatly 
alarmed, and it looked as if the " patriot " cause was lost. 
Washington determined to make a bold stroke. He crossed the 
Delaware River on Christmas night (1776). The wind was high, 
and the current swift. It was intensely cold, and two men in 
Washington's army froze to death on the way to the attack. 
Washington succeeded in getting safely across the river with his 
army, and suddenly surprised at Trenton the Hessian troops in 
the service of the English, and gained a great victory. A few 
days later Washington defeated the English at Princeton. For 
a while the English were driven back to New York, but in the 
spring of 1777, General Howe, the English commander, left New 
York by ship, entered the Chesapeake Bay, and started on his 
march to Philadelphia. He defeated Washington at Brandy wine, 
and took Philadelphia. The only redeeming feature of this 
year's campaign was the 'capture of the English General Bur- 
goyne with his whole army at Saratoga, N. Y. This prevented 
the English from establishing connection between New York 
City and Canada by means of the Hudson River, and revived 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



151 



the spirits of the patriots. The defeat of Burgoyne also caused 
the French to help us in our struggle. 

Washington stationed his army at Valley Forge near Phila- 
delphia for the winter of 1777-78. This was a terrible winter for 
the soldiers. They had to live in huts made of fence-rails, and 




From a painting by Alonzo Chappel. 

WASHINGTON AND LAFAYETTE AT VALLEY FORGE. 



had very little clothing and scarcely any food. Many of the men 
had to go barefooted, and they could be tracked through the snow 
by the blood from their naked feet. Many bad things were said 
about Washington, but he bore them all with a clear conscience, 
knowing that God would protect the innocent. A good old 
Quaker heard Washington praying in the woods, and went home 
and said to his wife : " George Washington will succeed. The 



152 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

Americans will secure their independence. I have heard him 
pray in the forest to-day, and the Lord will surely hear his prayer." 

The Lord did hear Washington. With the coming of spring 
the sick soldiers began to get well. Congress sent them clothes 
and food. The English General Howe was forced to evacuate 
Philadelphia. Washington defeated the English at Monmouth 
Courthouse, New Jersey, and the war in the Northern states was 
practically at an end. 

The English in 1778 decided to transfer the war to the South. 
Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S. C, were taken, and the Eng- 
lish under Cornwallis pushed into North Carolina. A part of his 
army under Colonel Tarleton was defeated at the battle of the 
Cowpens, S. C. After fighting a battle at Guilford Court- 
house, N. C, Cornwallis withdrew into Virginia. General Greene 
was in charge of the Americans in the South, and he gradually 
drove out the English forces which Cornwallis had left to hold 
the Southern states. At Eutaw Springs, S. C, he defeated them, 
and the South was thus delivered from the invaders. 

In October, 1781, the last battle of this long war was fought. 
For some months Cornwallis had been in Virginia plundering the 
country. Lafayette, a young French nobleman in Washington's 
army, was sent to Virginia to oppose Cornwallis, but his army 
was so small that he could do little in defence of the state. In 
August, Cornwallis moved his army to York River and encamped 
at Yorktown. Washington's army was in the State of New York 
watching General Clinton, who was stationed at New York City. 
The French fleet under Count de Grasse came up York River 
and took position near Yorktown, while Lafayette placed his 
army in front of the village on the land side, and Cornwallis was 
thus entrapped. In the meantime Washington had slipped away 
from New York, and had gone south a considerable distance be- 
fore General Clinton knew what were his intentions. By the 
twenty-sixth of September, Washington had his whole army be- 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



1? 



fore Yorktown, having marched four hundred miles to join 
Lafayette. Cornwallis was already surrounded, and Washington's 
additional troops only strengthened the besiegers and made it 
impossible for the enemy to es- 
cape. Little fighting was done, 
but the Americans kept moving 
their lines closer to the British, 
and finally, on the nineteenth of 
October, 1781, Cornwallis surren- 
dered. 

The French troops constituted 
a large part of Washington's ar- 
my. The French and American 
soldiers were drawn up in two 
separate columns, and the Eng- 
lish marched between them and 
gave up their arms. Cornwallis 
felt so humiliated over his defeat, 
that he pretended to be sick and 

sent his sword by one of his officers. Washington did not re- 
ceive the sword, but ordered it to be given to General Lincoln, 
who had been forced to surrender to the English when Charles- 
ton, S. C, was captured. 

The people of Philadelphia first heard of the surrender of 
Cornwallis from a German night-watchman who could not speak 
English correctly. One night while walking up and down the 
streets he began to shout, " Basht dree o'glock, und Gornvallis 
ish dakendt !" In a little while the streets were alive with people 
shouting for joy. Congress received a message from Washington 
the next day stating that Cornwallis had surrendered, and in the 
afternoon the members went in a body to the Lutheran Church 
to return thanks to God for the victory. This was the last battle 
of the war. A treaty of peace was signed in Paris in 1783, ac- 




GEOKGE WASHINGTON. 



154 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



cording to which England acknowledged the independence of the 
colonies. 

Four years after the treaty of peace with England, a conven- 
tion met at Philadelphia to draw up a constitution for the United 






'*L 'I'-'-llflil 





m fyyyj 

mm''" " 




*^%*^^^c- 



FEDERAL HALL, NEW YORK, WHERE WASHINGTON WAS INAUGURATED. 

States. Washington was president of this convention, and during 
those trying days when one could hardly predict what would be 
the outcome of the deliberations of the body, Washington showed 
himself a man of wisdom and prudence. Finally a constitution 
was proposed by the convention, and adopted by the states. 

Then the time had come to elect a president of the new re- 
public. Everybody said that Washington was the man. When 
the electoral votes were counted, it was found that George Wash- 
ington had received every vote cast, and was unanimously chosen 
President. John Adams of Massachusetts became Vice-President. 

Congress was in session at New York City, and at once 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



55 



notified Washington of his election. He was found on his farm, 
Mount Vernon, busily engaged in preparing for the planting of 
his crops. With some regret he left his quiet life to become 
President of the United States. His journey was made by 
carriage from Mount Vernon to New York, and everywhere he 
was greeted by great crowds. On reaching New York he was 
hailed by a salute of thirteen guns, and escorted to Federal Hall, 
where he was inaugurated President of the United States (1789). 
When Washington had taken the oath, the people went wild with 




THE TERRITORY OF THE YOUNO NATION. 



joy, and shouted : " God bless our Washington ! Long live our 
beloved Washington ! " 

Washington was elected to a second term and declined a 
third. The eicrht vears that he was President were the* most 



156 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

important in our history. Under Washington our government 
was firmly established. When he became President the credit of 
the United States abroad was at a low ebb; but through the wise 
plans of Alexander Hamilton, Washington's Secretary of the 
Treasury, our debts were paid, and our standing in the eyes of 
the European nations was greatly raised. 

When Washington retired from the presidency, he issued a 
farewell address to the people of the United States, in which he 
advised them not to interfere in European affairs, but to develop 
their own resources and let other countries alone. 

The two remaining years of his life were spent at Mount 
Vernon. On December 14, 1799, he died from a severe throat 
trouble brought on by going over his plantation on a cold 
snowy day. The highest praise that can be given Washington is 
contained in those memorable words which were used of him 
soon after his death : " First in war, first in peace, and first in the 
hearts of his countrymen." 

Geography Study. Map qf the United States. Find Alexandria, the 
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River, Williamsburg and York town 
(Va.) ; the Ohio River, Pittsburg (Pa.) ; Concord, Lexington, Cambridge 
and Boston (Mass.); Delaware River; Trenton, Princeton and Mon- 
mouth Courthouse (N. J.); Brandywine, Philadelphia (Pa.); Long Island 
and Saratoga (N. Y.) ; the Hudson River; Guilford Courthouse (N. C.) ; 
Cowpens and Eutaw Springs (S. C.) ; and Savannah (Ga.). How far is it 
from Savannah to Boston ? 

Review Questions. Tell of Washington's birthplace and his parents. 
Describe his school-days. What is the story about the sorrel colt? Tell 
of his acquaintance with Lord Fairfax. On what mission did Governor 
Dinwiddie send Washington? Describe Braddock's defeat. Tell of 
Washington's courtship and marriage. Tell of Washington's life at Mount 
Vernon. W T hat did he have to do with the Continental Congress? Why 
did Washington accept the command of the American army? What 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 157 

battles had been fought before he took command? When did Gage leave 
Boston ? What success did Washington have in New York ? Tell of his 
attack on the English at Trenton and Princeton. What was the im- 
portance of Burgoyne's capture? Tell of the winter at Valley Forge. Tell 
of the war in the South. Describe the capture of Cornwallis at Yorktown. 
How was the news received at Philadelphia? Tell of the Constitutional 
Convention. Tell of Washington's election as President. Describe his 
trip to New York and the inauguration. What was the importance of 
Washington's administration? Tell of his farewell address. Tell of his 
death. What was said of him soon after his death? Write a composition 
on the character of Washington. 




CHAPTER XX. 



%M% j 



George Rogers Clark. 



1752-1818. 



You remember that at the close of the French and Indian 
War all the territory east of the Mississippi River was given by 
the French to the English. England hoped to build up a great 
empire in North America. This hope would undoubtedly have 
been realized had not England brought on the Revolutionary 
War by taxing the colonies. The war Was carried on mainly by 
the colonies east of the Alleghany Mountains, because the settle- 
ments west of the Alleghanies were small and far apart. The 
territory north of the Ohio River from which the great states of 
Illinois, Indiana. Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin have been 
formed, was, as yet, unsettled except by a few French and some 
traders from Virginia and Maryland. Detroit in Michigan, Kas- 
kaskia in Illinois, and Vincennes in Indiana were the most im- 
portant settlements. This vast territory was claimed by Virginia, 
but during the Revolutionary War she gave it all to the Union. 

While the Revolutionary War was in progress, English 
troops from Canada came into the territory north of the Ohio 
River. Had these troops been allowed to remain there until the 
close of the war, all of that vast region would have been the 
property of England, and probably our country would never 



GEORGE ROGERS CEARK. 



159 



have been the great nation that it is to-day. There was one man 
who saw that this territory must be conquered from the English. 
This was George Rogers Clark, v 

George Rogers Clark was born in Albemarle County, Vir- 




PIONEER EXPLORERS ACCOSTED BY INDIANS. 

ginia, in 1752, not far from the birthplace of Thomas Jefferson. 
Clark never had a college education, but he went to a good 
private school taught by a Mr. Robertson, where one of his 
classmates was James Madison, afterwards President of the 
United States. When only a boy he became a surveyor and 



l6o MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

went into the Ohio valley, where he spent His time in hunting, 
fishing and surveying the lands around him. Soon after this he 
moved to Kentucky and there became prominent among the 
settlers. He was brave and bold, a man of fine personal appear- 
ance and of pleasing manners. He became a leader in military 
as well as political affairs. He organized the settlers into com- 
panies and secured for them ammunition with which to fight the 
Indians. Through his influence, a meeting of the citizens was 
held and he and John Gabriel Jones were elected to represent 
Kentucky in the Virginia legislature. Kentucky was then a great 
county in Virginia, and it was a long way from Kentucky to 
Williamsburg, the capital of the state. There were no railways 
on which to travel, no fine highways and stage coaches, so he 
and Jones and their companions had to travel on horseback 
along the dreary wilderness roads in order to reach Williamsburg. 
The mountains were rugged and muddy, and they stood con- 
stantly in fear of the Indians. Clark's horse died on the way, so 
that he had to w r alk during the greater part of the journey. His 
feet were very sore, but he pushed on and finally reached his 
destination, having traveled a distance of seven hundred miles. 

As soon as he reached eastern Virginia, Clark showed the 
necessity of defending Kentucky against the Indians and of 
preserving it against the English, and urged that Kentucky 
and all of the Northwest Territory should not be left to fall 
into the hands of the English. Patrick Henry was then gov- 
ernor of Virginia. Clark appeared before him and asked per- 
mission to enlist soldiers to cross the Ohio River and to drive 
the English from the Northwest Territory. The Governor's 
Council was called and it was decided that Clark should be 
instructed to raise troops at once to defend Kentucky ; but 
Patrick Henry told him that to defend Kentucky meant that 
he might cross the Ohio River and attack the English. Henry's 
instructions to Colonel Clark w r ere : " You are to proceed without 



GEORGE ROGERS CLARK. 



161 



loss of time to enlist seven companies of men. They are to proceed 

to Kentucky and there to obey such orders and directions as you 

shall give them." At once Colonel Clark got together the soldiers, 

and, when all was ready, he sailed 

down to the mouth of the Ohio 

River and crossed over into the 

present State of Illinois. In the 

southern part of Illinois near the 

banks of the Mississippi was the 

little town of Kaskaskia, which 

was held by a garrison of English 

troops. The commander of these 

troops was Rochblave, who had, in 

addition to the English soldiers, a 

number of Indians. 

Clark marched secretly upon 
Kaskaskia. On the night of July 
4, 1778, he surrounded the town 
and entered the fort so quietly 

that the English did not dream of danger. Jjancing was go- 
ing on in the fort. Clark walked into the dancing-hall and stood 
against the door post. The English gentlemen did not even see 
him, but one of the Indians perceived him and raised a war 
whoop. Clark quieted him, and told the English that they 
could continue their dancing; but that they no longer danced 
under the flag of England, but under the flag of Virginia. He 
then went to the home of Governor Rochblave, who was captured 
in his bed. Clark sent the governor to Williamsburg. The 
capture of Kaskaskia was followed by the conquest of Illinois, 
which was made into a great county in the State of Virginia. 

The English had a large force at Detroit under the command 
of Governor Hamilton. When Hamilton heard of Clark's in- 
vasion of Illinois, he at once determined to drive Clark out of 




GEORGE ROGERS CLARK. 



Dancing was 



1 62 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



the Northwest Territory ; so he moved south with his army and 
took possession of Vincennes, a town on the Wabash River in the 
present State of Indiana. Clark did not have more than one- 
third as many troops as Hamilton, but he resolved, if possible, to 
capture Hamilton and his forces in Vincennes. In February, 
1779, Clark started on the march from Kaskaskia to Vincennes. 
The distance is about one hundred and sixty miles. The Wabash 
River had overflowed its banks and had covered the low grounds 
all along its course. Through the low grounds, or " drowned lands," 

Clark marched with his men. 
Day after day, they went 
through water up to their 
waists and sometimes to their 
necks, but Clark determined 
not to turn back. On one 
occassion his men were much 
disheartened, and Clark knew 
that something had to be done 
to encourage them. In one 
company there was a very 
large man from Shenandoah 
County, Virginia. He was about six feet four inches high. With 
Clark's expedition was a drummer boy about fifteen years of age. 
When the men hesitated to march into the water, Clark mounted 
the little drummer boy on the shoulders of the tall soldier, who 
was ordered to advance into the half frozen water. He did so, with 
the little drummer boy beating the charge from his lofty perch, 
while Clark with sword in hand followed them, giving the com- 




THE OLD NORTHWEST 



mancl, "Forward! march! 



as 



he threw aside the floating ice. 



Elated and amused with this scene, the men promptly obeyed 
the order, holding their rifles above their heads. 

After sixteen days of great perseverance and hardships Clark 
reached Vincennes. His appearance before the town was a 



GEORGE ROGERS CLARK. 163 

surprise, as Hamilton had never dreamed that any man would 
dare to march from Kaskaskia to Vincennes through the drowned 
lands of the Wabash River. Clark ordered him to surrender, 
which he at first refused to do. At night Clark attacked the fort 
so vigorously that the next day Hamilton surrendered. Soon 
after this all the English forts in the Northwest Territory passed 
into the hands of Clark. 

Virginia was delighted with Clark's undertaking. The Legis- 
lature passed a vote of thanks, and presented him with a sword. 
For their services in the war he and his soldiers were afterwards 
given 150,000 acres of land in what is now the State of Indiana. 
This grant was made by the State of Virginia. Clark received 
for his part 8,000 acres, and each private received 108 acres. 

In conquering the Northwest Territory from the English, 
Clark did a great thing for his country. If he had not made 
this expedition into the Northwest Territory, it would have 
remained in the hands of the English until the close of the 
Revolutionary War. By the treaty of peace with England, 
which acknowledged the independence of the United States, 
it was agreed that England and the United States should each 
retain what territory they held at the close of the war. By this 
treaty Canada, which was never conquered by the United States, 
was kept by England, but since Clark had conquered the North- 
west Territory, this remained in the hands of the United States. 
So it was through the boldness and bravery of George Rogers 
Clark that we now have in our union those five magnificent 
states, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. 

After the Revolutionary War was over, Clark became a 
private citizen of Kentucky. He lived until 181 8. When he 
died, the country which he had seen as a wilderness had become 
populous and wealthy. Already Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and 
Illinois had become states in the Union, while Michigan, which 
at that time included Wisconsin, was a flourishing territory. 



164 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



Geography Study. Map of the Middle Western States. Find Ken- 
tucky, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. Locate Kas- 
kaskia, Vincennes and Detroit. Trace the Wabash River. 

Review Questions. — Why was it that England did not build 
up a great empire in North America? At the time* of the Revolution 
what were the chief settlements north of the Ohio River? Who held the 
Northwest Territory at the close of the Revolution? Tell of the boyhood 
of Clark and of his settling in Kentucky. What did he propose to the 
Virginia Legislature? Tell of his commission. Describe the capture of 
Kaskaskia. Describe his march to Vincennes and the capture of the town. 
How did Virginia honor and repay Clark? What was the importance of 
Clark's enterprise? What was the condition of Kentucky and the North- 
west Territory at the time of Clark's death? 




CHAPTER XXL 



Benjamin Franklin 

1706-1790. 



The Revolutionary War was a great struggle. It is doubtful 
whether the thirteen colonies could ever have succeeded but for 
the aid of France. This aid was secured chiefly through the in- 
fluence of Benjamin Franklin. He likewise helped to make the 
treaty with England at the close of the Revolutionary War, and 
was a prominent member of the great convention of 1787 which 
gave us the Constitution of the United States. 

Franklin was born in Massachusetts in 1706. He had sixteen 
brothers and sisters. His father was a poor man, and made 
candles for a living. Franklin was a bright boy, but his father 
was too poor to give him an education, so at the age of twelve the 
lad was put to work cutting wicks for candles. One of his brothers 
ran a newspaper in Boston, and Benjamin was bound to him 
to learn the printer's trade. At that time there were in America 
only two or three newspapers, and they were not like our modern 
newspapers, but were small sheets of four pages. These papers 
did not have a wide circulation, and often the printers themselves 
delivered the papers to the subscribers. As a printer boy, Franklin 
often delivered the newspapers and did many other errands for 
his brother. Still he found time to read all the good books that 



1 66 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 




THE BIRTHPLACE OF FRANKLIN. 



he could get. Though he had been to school but little, he had 
a great fondness for books, and especially for "The Spectator." 

The story of the way in which he got a copy of Addison's 
" Spectator" is interesting. One day, as he was running very 

rapidly, with a bundle of newspapers 
under his arm, up one of the streets 
of Boston, he ran against a table on 
which were some apples that an old 
woman sold to passers-by. Many of the 
apples were knocked from the table, and 
Franklin stopped and picked them up, 
apologizing to the woman for his care- 
lessness. She seemed to be very much 
interested in Franklin, and asked him if 
he believed in dreams. • Franklin replied, 
" Oh, yes." The old woman then asked, 
"But do your dreams come true?" To this Franklin replied, 
" Well, no ; I don't think they do. Do yours ? " " Oh, yes," said 
the old woman, "my dreams always come true, and I dreamed 
about you last night." This aroused Franklin's curiosity, and he 
said, " Did you ? Well, what did you dream ? " She answered, 
showing him a book, " I dreamed that you bought this book and 
that you became a very wise man." Franklin took the book and 
looked at it. . It was a copy of Addison's " Spectator." He paid 
the old woman sixpence for it, took it home with him, and read 
it and re-read it, and copied it and re-copied it. 

Franklin learned thoroughly the printer's trade. His brother 
treated him badly, so he secretly left Boston and went to 
New York. After searching in vain for work in New York, he 
went to Philadelphia. When he reached Philadelphia he had 
only a few pennies in his pocket, and, being very hungry, he 
spent these for three loaves of bread. Picture to yourself the 
young boy, only seventeen years of age, walking up Market 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 



167 



Street with a loaf of bread under each arm, while he munched 
the third. He passed by the house of Mr. Read, and saw, stand- 
ing in the doorway, Mr. Read's daughter, who laughed at the 
awkward boy with his three loaves of bread. She did not know 
Franklin then, but after a while she met him and learned to love 
him, and became his wife. 

Franklin soon secured work as a printer. He met the gov- 
ernor of Pennsylvania, who was very friendly to him. He 
advised Franklin to go to England and get a printing press, 
promising to aid him. Franklin believed the governor, and 
took passage for England ; but, 
after he had gotten on the 
ocean, he found that the gov- 
ernor had deceived him. 
Franklin, on reaching England, 
had no money and no one to 
help him. He sought work 
from a London printer, who re- 
fused at first to give him any- 
thing to • do, because he did 
not think an American could 
set type. Franklin asked the 
printer to give him a trial, and 
as soon as he had set a few 
lines the printer was so pleased 
that he employed him. Frank- 
lin proved to be the best com- 
positor in the establishment. 

Many printers worked in 
the same shop, and, though none of them received large wages, 
they always bought beer for their dinner. Franklin would 
not spend his money in this way, and soon he persuaded some 
of the printers to give up the beer-drinking habit. Having 




AN EARLY l'RINTINC, PRESS. 



l68 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

saved his money by keeping out of bad habits, Franklin bought 
a printing press and returned to Philadelphia. 

Franklin now entered upon a period of great prosperity. He 
opened a book and paper store, started a newspaper called the 
Gazette, and printed an almanac known as " Poor Richard s 
Almanac," in which were many sayings of one who called him- 
self Poor Richard. Here are some of the sayings: 

" Keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep thee." 

" Necessity never made a good bargain." 

" It is hard for an empty sack to stand upright." 

Franklin did much to advance science and learning. He 
discovered that electricity is the same as lightning. He in- 
vented the Franklin stove which is used to this day. He started 
a public library in Philadelphia and founded the University of 
Pennsylvania. His reputation for learning caused Harvard and 
Yale colleges to confer upon him the honorary degree of Master 
of Arts. Some years afterwards, when representing Pennsylvania 
in England, Oxford University made him a Doctor of Laws 
because of scientific discoveries. 

Franklin served in the legislature of Pennsylvania for many 
years, and at one time was postmaster-general for the colonies, 
with Mr. William Hunter as his associate. 

He believed that the English colonies should be closely 
united, and at the opening of the French and Indian War he 
proposed a plan for their union — the first real plan proposed 
for a union of all the English colonies in America. Pennsyl- 
vania sent him to England as the agent for the colony. While he 
was there, the English Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which 
was so bitterly opposed in America. Franklin objected very 
strongly to this measure and told the English politicians that 
the Americans would never submit to it, that the Americans 
were a liberty-loving people, and that of every twenty dollars 
which they had, they would be willing to spend nineteen to 



170 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

protect one. It was largely through Franklin's influence that 
the English government repealed the Stamp Act, but as Eng- 
land would not give up the right of taxation, Franklin saw that 
war was inevitable, and therefore returned to America. He 
arrived in Philadelphia, in May, I//5, just sixteen days after the 
opening battle of the Revolution at Lexington, Massachusetts. 

Franklin took a prominent part in urging the Americans to 
fight until they won their independence. Pennsylvania elected 
him a member of the Continental Congress, and in that body 
he did much to encourage the colonies in their struggle for 
freedom. 

Franklin was always fond of telling jokes, and by these he 
kept up a cheerfulness among the members of Congress. When 
the Declaration of Independence was adopted on the fourth day 
of July, 1776, and the members came up to sign the great docu- 
ment, they knew that if the war against England failed, those 
who signed the Declaration would be executed as traitors. It 
was urged, therefore, that all should sign and stand together. 
Franklin laughed and said, " Yes, we must indeed hang together ; 
or assuredly we shall all hang separately." 

At the time of the adoption of the Declaration of Independ- 
ence, Franklin proposed to Congress a plan of union for the 
colonies. His plan was not adopted, but it set Congress to work, 
and the outcome of Franklin's suggestion was that, in 1781, a 
scheme of government was agreed upon for the thirteen states 
known as The Articles of Confederation. This was our first 
constitution. 

In the midst of the Revolutionary War, Franklin was sent to 
France along with Silas Deane and Arthur Lee, to obtain, if 
possible, the help of France against England. Franklin was 
received in France with marks of the highest esteem. In those 
days, people wore wigs, but Franklin did not. The French 
admired him for not wearing a wig and for his simplicity of dress. 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 



171 



He always wore a simple suit of brown clothes made in the 
colonial fashion. He never carried a sword, and the French 
were amazed that his only defense was a walking-stick. When- 
ever he went along the streets of Paris, the people thronged to 
see him and respectfully made room for him to pass. On one 
occasion the French king and 
queen received him. Even at 
the court reception, he did not 
wear a wig or a sword, and was 
dressed in his usual brown suit. 

The simple republican spirit 
of Franklin made him very pop- 
ular among the French, and it 
was mainly through his influence 
that the King of France made 
a treaty with the American 
colonies (1777), and promised 
them aid in the war. It was 
this aid that enabled the Amer- 
icans to bring the war to a suc- 
cessful close by forcing Cornwallis 
to surrender at Yorktown. 

When the Revolutionary War 
closed, Franklin, John Jay and 
John Adams represented the United States government in 
making the treaty of peace with England. By his tact and 
skill, Franklin succeeded in making a treaty which allowed the 
United States to retain the Northwest Territory. After the 
treaty of peace had been signed, a dinner was given in Paris in 
honor of the peace. At this dinner the English ambassador 
proposed as a toast : " George III : Like the glorious sun at 
mid-day, he illumines the world." The French minister offered 
his toast : " Louis XVI : Like the full moon rising in splendor, 




THE LIBERTY BELL. 

(Now hanging in Independence Hall, 
Philadelphia.) 



I72 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

he dissipates the shades of night." Then Franklin slowly rose, 
and with all eyes fixed upon him asked the company to join him 
in the toast : " George Washington : Like Joshua of old, he com- 
manded the sun and the moon to stand still, and they obeyed 
him." 

For three years longer, Franklin remained in France. He 
was now an old man nearly eighty years of age. The French 
people begged him not to leave France, and many of them 
offered him a home in their families, telling him that not even in 
America would he be so much loved and esteemed as in France; 
but the love of his country, his family and his friends was too 
strono- for him to remain in Europe, so he set sail and reached 
Philadelphia in September, 1785. When he landed, a great 
multitude met him, and escorted him to his home. Franklin was 
very feeble at this time, but the people of his state again called 
him into service. For three successive terms he was elected 
president of Pennsylvania. 

When Franklin returned home, he found the United States 
in a very serious condition. During the Revolutionary War large 
debts had been made, and Congress had not raised the money 
to pay them. The government was growing weaker and weaker 
each day, and it looked as if the new republic would fail. The 
government under the Articles of Confederation was not strong 
enough to meet the urgent demands of the time ; therefore, 
it was decided to call a special convention to prepare a new plan 
of government for the states. This Convention met in Inde- 
pendence Hall, in Philadelphia (1787), and drew up the present 
Constitution of the United States. The president of the Con- 
vention was George Washington. Franklin, then an old man 
eighty-one years of age, was elected as one of the representatives 
from the State of Pennsylvania. The members of the conven- 
tion found it difficult to agree upon a constitution. At one time 
it looked as though they would adjourn without proposing any 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 



1/3 



plan of government. The Convention had opened morning after 
morning without prayer; and then it was that Franklin rose and 
said : " How has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once 




INDEPENDENCE HALL. 



thought of humbly applying to the Father of Lights to illumin- 
ate our understanding? In the beginning of the contest with 
Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in 
this room for the divine protection. Our prayers. Sir, were heard, 



174 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

and they were graciously answered. Have we now forgotten 
that powerful Friend, or do we imagine we no longer need His 
assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, 
the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs 
in the affairs of men." After this speech the Convention opened 
every morning with prayer. 

In a little while, a Constitution was agreed upon. When the 
members came up to sign the great document, Franklin stood 
rubbing his eyeglasses. He looked at the picture which was 
behind the chair in which Washington as president of the Con- 
vention had sat. It was a picture of the sun. He turned to 
one of the members and said : " I have often and often in the 
course of the session and in the vicissitudes of my hopes and 
fears looked at that picture behind the president without being 
able to tell whether the sun was rising or setting, but now, at 
length, I have the happiness to know that the sun of America is 
rising." 

Franklin now retired from public life. He lived until 1790, 
long enough to see the new Constitution go into operation with 
Washington as President, and to know that the country, which 
he loved so dearly, was to be a great nation. When Franklin 
died, the Congress of the United States voted as a tribute of re- 
spect, that each member should wear crape for thirty days, and 
the French Assembly voted that each member of their body 
should wear mourning in his honor for three days. 

Franklin was one of our greatest men. He encouraged learn- 
ing and science, and he loved his country and her people with all 
his heart. 

Geography Study. Map of tlie United States. Find Boston, New- 
York and Philadelphia. How far is it from Boston to New York ? How 
far from New York to Philadelphia ? Map of the World. Find London 
and Paris. How far is it from London to Philadelphia ? How far from 
Paris to Philadelphia ? How many miles would you travel if you went 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 



1/5 



twice from Philadelphia to London and returned, and once from Phila- 
delphia to Paris and returned ? 

Review Questions. Why should you know of Franklin? Tell of 
Franklin's early life and his career as a printer boy in Boston. How did 
he get his first copy of Addison's Spectator? Why did Franklin leave Bos- 
ton? Describe his first appearance in Philadelphia. Why did he go to 
England? Tell of Franklin as a printer in England. What did he do 
when he returned to Philadelphia? Tell of "Poor Richard's Almanac" 
and some of the sayings. What discovery did Franklin make? What 
library and what university did he found? What part did Franklin take 
in the government of Pennsylvania. Tell of Franklin as the agent of 
Pennsylvania in England. What did Franklin say when the Declaration 
of Independence was being signed? What did he mean? Tell of Frank- 
lin in France. What treaty did he make with France? What part did he 
play in the treaty of peace with England? Tell of the toasts at the dinner 
in Paris. Describe his return to Philadelphia. How did Pennsylvania 
honor him? Tell of the necessity for a constitution. Why did Franklin 
move to open the convention with prayer? What were his words? 
What did he say when the Constitution was being signed? Tell of his 
death. How was his memory honored ? 




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AN OLD CONTINENTAL BILL. 




At Work on the Declaration. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Thomas Jefferson 

1743-1826. 



Before the Revolutionary War, Williamsburg was the capital 
of Virginia. At one end of its main street was William and 
Mary College ; at the other was the old capitol, in which the 
House of Burgesses met. There stood on this same street an 
inn known as Raleigh Tavern, one room of which, " The Apollo," 
was used as a dancing-hall. It was often the custom of the 
students of the college to assemble in the Apollo Room to enjoy 
the pleasures of the dance. During the winter of 1760 and 1 761, 
one of the leaders in this amusement was a tall, thin young 
student, " with red hair, a freckled face, and pointed features." 
This young man was Thomas Jefferson. 

Jefferson was born in April, 1743, at Shadwell, near Char- 
lottesville, Virginia. He was the son of Peter and Jane Jeffer- 
son, and was the third of ten children. His mother was a 
daughter of Isham Randolph, one of the wealthiest planters in 
Virginia. 

Thomas Jefferson started to school when he was five years 
old. He was a good student, and, when he entered William and 
Mary College at the age of seventeen, he was prepared to take a 
high rank in his classes. During his first session at college he 
spent a good deal of money and idled away much of his time ; 



THOMAS JEFFERSON. 1 77 

but in his second year, he was a diligent student, and as a rule 
studied fifteen hours a day. 

At this time the culture and fashion of Virginia centered at 
Williamsburg. Every year the principal planters went there 
with their families to enjoy the pleasures of the colonial capital. 
During his first year's stay at William and Mary College, Thomas 
Jefferson took a leading part in the gay social life of the 
town. He was very intimate with Governor Fauquier, and was 
always invited to the parties given at " the palace," as the 
governor's residence was called. After graduating from the col- 
lege he took up the study of law under the direction of George 
Wythe, a prominent lawyer of Williamsburg. 

When a law student, he would sometimes go down to the 
old capitol to hear the debates in the House of Burgesses. One 
day, while he and several other students were standing at the 
door, one of the Burgesses was speaking in a most eloquent 
strain. He recognized in the speaker the " happy-go-lucky " 
young man whom he had before seen at frolics entertaining the 
young people with jokes, dancing and fiddling. This was 
Patrick Henry, and he was making his famous speech against the 
Stamp Act. 

At about the age of twenty-four, Jefferson began to practice 
law. He had neither a strong nor a clear voice and con- 
sequently was not a good speaker ; but he was an easy and 
fluent writer. After he had practiced seven or eight years, he 
became one of the most successful lawyers in Virginia. 

While Thomas Jefferson was practicing law, he made the 
acquaintance of John- Wayles, a wealthy lawyer, who owned 
several plantations and many slaves. Mr. Wayles and his 
widowed daughter, Mrs. Skelton, spent much of their time at 
" The Forest," one of his estates, which was just outside of 
Williamsburg. Mrs. Skelton was young, accomplished and 
pretty, and we are not surprised to learn that Jefferson often 



1 7 8 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 










took his violin out to her home to play duets with her. These 
visits were continued until January, 1772, when Jefferson and the 
young widow were married. After the wedding, the bride and 
groom started in a two-horse carriage for Monticello, their future 

home, which was 
one hundred and 
fifty miles distant. 
The weather was 
bad, and before they 
reached the end of 
their journey, they 
had to leave the 
carriage and pro- 
ceed on horseback. 
When they arrived 
at Monticello, the 
fires were all out 
and the servants 
were away from the house. The dark, snow-covered mountain 
presented a dreary prospect to the young couple ; but they were 
very happy and only joked and laughed at their experience. 
They went into a pavilion in the yard, and Jefferson found 
in a bookcase some biscuits and wine, which were the only re- 
freshments that he could offer his bride. 

In 1769 Jefferson became a member of the House of Bur- 
gesses. At this time, the dispute which brought on the Revolu- 
tionary War was rising between England and the American 
colonies. The Virginia Assembly sympathized with the re- 
volutionary movement, and passed resolutions that the governor 
considered disloyal to the mother country. As a rebuke for this 
spirit of rebellion, the governor dissolved the Assembly, but the 
members, instead of going home, met in the Apollo Room of the 
Raleigh Tavern to advise with each other as to what measures 



MONTICELLO, JEFFERSON S HOME. 



THOMAS JEFFERSON. 



I/( 



they had best adopt. Jefferson had an active part in the delib- 
erations that took place in the room where he had often danced 
in his college days. 

but it was not 



//> 



The Revolutionary War broke out in 
until July of the next 
year that the Amer- 
ican colonies declared 
themselves independ- 
ent. Virginia de- 
clared herself free, 
and instructed her 
delegates in the Con- 
tinental Congress to 
urge that body to as- 
sert the independence 
of all the colonies. In 
obedience to these 
instructions, Richard 
Henry Lee, a mem- 
ber of Congress from 
Virginia, on the 
seventh of June, 
1776, offered a reso- 
lution in the Conti- 
nental Congress de- 
claring that 4< these 
united colonies are, 
and of right ought to 
be, free and independent States." Congress elected five of its 
members as a committee on a declaration of independence. 
Thomas Jefferson received the highest number of votes, and 
thus became the chairman of the committee. He wrote all of the 
original Declaration except a few words, which were put in by 







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urn ■ / ,.mff 


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From a paint nig by Chappel. 
THE COMMITTEE DRAFTING THE DECLARATION OF 
INDEPENDENCE. 



180 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, members of the committee. 
But before it was adopted, the Declaration of Independence 
was discussed in Congress for three days, and some changes were 
made in the original draft. On the fourth of July, 1776, the 
Declaration was signed in its amended form by all except one 
of the members present. 

Jefferson left the Continental Congress in September of the 
same year, and soon afterwards took his seat in the Virginia leg- 
islature. He thought that some reforms were badly needed in 
his own state, and, therefore, believed that he could do more good 
in the Virginia legislature than he could in Congress. 

The Episcopal Church had been established in Virginia since 
the first settlement at Jamestown, and everybody was taxed to 
support it, even those who were members of other denominations. 
Jefferson now brought before the legislature a bill providing that 
no one should be punished for his religious beliefs or be forced to 
contribute to the support of any church. This bill was changed, 
before it became a law, so that the act as passed did not give 
complete religious freedom ; but something was done in that direc- 
tion. About nine years later Jefferson's famous bill establishing 
religious liberty was passed. Although it was Madison who car- 
ried the bill through the legislature, it was Jefferson who. began the 
fight for complete religious liberty, and to him we are most in- 
debted for the principle that every man may worship God in 
his own way without being taxed to support an established 
church. 

Before her separation from England and for a short time 
thereafter, Virginia had laws of entail and primogeniture. Un- 
der the entail system a land owner could will his estate to his 
descendants in such a way that they could not cut it up and sell 
it, but had to let it pass from heir to heir in the way prescribed 
by the entail. The law of primogeniture provided that all the 
land and other real estate of those who died without a will should 



THOMAS JEFFERSON. 



181 



pass to their oldest sons. In consequence of these laws much 
of the land was owned in large tracts, which the owners 
could not sell. Through Jefferson's influence the legislature re- 
pealed these laws, and provided that in the division of estates 
left by those dying without wills, the oldest son should not have 
any advantage over the other children. 

When Henry retired as governor of Virginia, Jefferson 
was elected as his successor and 
served two years. When Benjamin 
Franklin returned from France, 
Jefferson was appointed as our 
minister to that country. He was 
therefore absent in France when 
the Constitution of the United 
States was adopted. After a few 
years' absence he returned to 
America, and, when Washington 
became President, Jefferson was 
his first Secretary of State. In 
the early part of Washington's sec- 
ond term, he resigned and retired 
to private life at Monticello. He 
took a lively interest in the affairs 
of the country and was the recog- 
nized leader of those who were op- 
posed to allowing Congress to 
exercise wide powers. Jefferson 
believed that to Congress belonged 
only those powers granted to it by 
the Constitution. These were the views of all who believed in 
state-rights, i. e., that all powers not expressly granted to 
Congress by the Constitution belonged to the states. 

Jefferson's party was called the Anti-Federalist, Jeffersonian 




Valentine. 



THE STATUE OF JEFFERSON. 

(At Richmond, Virginia.) 



I 82 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

or Republican, but more commonly the Democratic-Repub- 
lican party. Opposed to the Democratic-Republicans were the 
Federalists, headed by Alexander Hamilton of New York. The 
Federalists believed that Congress might pass any law which 
would be for the good of the country, whether or not the right 
was granted expressly by the Constitution. When Washington 
declined a third term, Jefferson and John Adams were the candi- 
dates for the presidency. Adams was elected President, but Jeffer- 
son was made Vice-President. Adams made himself very unpop- 
ular, and at the next election (1801) the Federalist party was de- 
feated, and Jefferson was elected. The people honored him with 
a second term, but, like Washington, he declined a third. 

The most important event of Jefferson's administration was 
the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. By the treaty of peace 
at the close of the French and Indian War (1763), the Mississippi 
River was made the western boundary of the English colonies, 
while all the vast territory between the Mississippi River and the 
Rocky Mountains was given to Spain. Spain also held the city 
of New Orleans and both sides of the Mississippi at its mouth. 
After the treaty of peace with England in 17S3, the territory west 
of the Alleghany Mountains began to increase in population and 
resources. Cotton and grain were grown in great quantities, and 
an outlet to the Gulf of Mexico was necessary for the further 
growth of this section. Naturally the Mississippi was the water 
way of Tennessee, of Kentucky and of the Northwest Territory ; 
but Spain closed the port of New Orleans to the Americans. 

Hardly had Jefferson been inaugurated when he heard that 
Spain had sold all of the Louisiana Territory to France. Jeffer- 
son instructed Robert Livingston, our minister to France, to try 
to purchase New Orleans from the French, but Napoleon would 
not listen to such a proposal. Jefferson then sent to France, as a 
special agent of the United States government, James Monroe, 
who was to open negotiations with Napoleon. When Monroe 



THOMAS JEFFERSON. 



83 



reached France, Napoleon had changed his mind, and was ready 
to sell not only New Orleans, but all of the Louisiana Territory. 
Livingston and Monroe thereupon signed a treaty with France 
agreeing to pay fifteen million dollars for the whole Louisiana Ter- 
ritory, which included all of the land between the Gulf of Mexico 
on the south and British America on the north, the Mississippi on 




UNITED STATES 
in 1803 

United Slates 

English 

Spanish 



THE UNITED STATES AFTER THE PURCHASE OF LOUISIANA. 

the east and the Rocky Mountains on the west. Monroe and 
Livingston had no constitutional right to make this treaty, and 
Jefferson felt that the Constitution did not give the right to ac- 
quire territory, but he knew that the acquisition of so vast an area 
would increase greatly the power of the United States, so he signed 
the treaty and the Senate agreed to it (1803). The territory of 
the United States was thus doubled. Napoleon hated to sell 
Louisiana to the United States, but he did not want England to 
have it. When he signed the treaty, he said : " This accession 



1 84 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

of territory forever strengthens the power of the United States, 
and I have just given to England a maritime rival that will sooner 
or later humble her pride." 

During his second administration, Jefferson had much trouble 
with England and France about our commerce. Both of these 
nations seized our ships on the high seas, and took the goods 
of our merchants without paying for them. Jefferson tried to 
prevent this by laying an embargo, which forbade ships from 
leaving American ports with cargoes for foreign countries. This 
crippled New England's trade and made Jefferson unpopular 
in that section. Jefferson's plan was to avoid war with Europe. 
The English also boarded our vessels, took some of the sailors, 
claiming that they were English, and forced them to serve on 
English vessels. This was very harsh and tyrannical in England, 
and finally brought on war after Jefferson had retired from the 
presidency. 

James Madison of Virginia was Jefferson's successor as 
President (1809). He served for two terms, and during his 
administration the second war with England was fought. 

Jefferson lived to see another Virginian, James Monroe, serve 
two terms as President (181 7- 1825). Monroe had been prom- 
inent in acquiring Louisiana, and during his administration he 
bought Florida from Spain for five million dollars. 

On his retirement from the presidency, Jefferson went to 
spend the remainder of his days on his plantation, Monticello. 
The close of his life, however, was not a period of inactivity. 
He had always taken great interest in education, and had 
planned a school system for Virginia that included all grades of 
instruction from the primary school to the university. His 
scheme was never fully put into operation, but he still hoped 
that Virginia might provide for the higher education of her sons 
at home. As he now had no other public duties to engage his 
attention, he undertook to establish a university at Charlottesville, 



THOMAS JEFFERSON. 1 85 

a village about two miles from Monticello. As a result of his 
endeavors, that great institution, the University of Virginia, was 
founded in 1 8 19. He lived to see only the beginning of the 
brilliant career that the university has enjoyed for three quarters 
of a century. He died on the fourth of July, 1826, just 
fifty years after the Declaration of Independence had been 
signed. 

Jefferson probably influenced our country more than any 




THE GROUNDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA. 

other of our great men. He believed that the people should 
rule, and that all persons should be educated. His idea that all 
men are equal has made our country the republic which it is 
to-day, and many of our views of freedom and liberty come 
from him. 

Jefferson wished to be remembered for three things, and he 
put these in the inscription which he wrote for his own monu- 
ment. If you should visit Monticello where he was buried, you 
will read the inscription, as follows : 



1 86 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

" Here was Buried 

THOMAS JEFFERSON, 

Author of 

the Declaration of 

American Independence ; 

OF 

the Statute of Virginia for 
Religious Freedom ; 

AND 

Father of the 
University of Virginia." 

Geography Study. Map of Virginia. Find Charlottesville and 
Williamsburg. How far is it from Williamsburg to Charlottesville ? 
Map of the United States. Find New Orleans. What states lie between 
the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River ? 

Review Questions. Tell of Jefferson's life in Williamsburg when 
he was a student. What kind of man was Jefferson in appearance? What 
sort of lawyer was he? Tell of Jefferson's marriage and trip to Monti- 
cello. Tell of Jefferson in the House of Burgesses. How did Jefferson 
come to write the Declaration of Independence? What laws did Jefferson 
have carried through the Virginia Legislature? What important positions 
did Jefferson hold? Of what party was Jefferson the leader and founder? 
Tell of the Louisiana Purchase. What troubles did Jefferson have with 
England and France? What two Virginians were presidents for the last 
sixteen years of Jefferson's life? Tell of the purchase of Florida. What 
great institution did Jefferson establish? What was Jefferson's influence? 
What three things did he wish to be remembered for? 




CHAPTER 
. XXIII. 



Robert 
Fulton. 



1765-1815. 



WHILE Jefferson was President, the United States entered 
upon a period of great industrial prosperity. The powers of 
Europe realized that the United States would be a great country. 
Our lands were fertile and produced large quantities of corn, 
wheat, tobacco and cotton. In 1793 Eli Whitney, a native of 
Connecticut, invented the cotton gin. At that time he was 
teaching school in Georgia and noticed how hard it was to pick 
the seeds from the cotton, so he constructed a machine by which 
cotton could be separated from the seed very rapidly. The in- 
vention of this machine, which is called the cotton gin, made the 
raising of cotton very profitable. With wheat, corn, cotton and 
tobacco in great abundance, with iron and coal stored away in its 
mountains, it was seen that the United States needed only the 
means of carrying its goods from point to point to make it a 
great and prosperous country. Sailboats and stagecoaches 
furnished poor means of transportation and travel. 

The invention of the steamboat and the introduction of 
steam railways marked great epochs in the history of our coun- 
try. Robert Fulton built the first successful steamboat. 

Robert Fulton was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 



1 88 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

in 1765. His father was an Irishman, and died when Robert was 
only three years old. As a boy, therefore, Fulton had no one 
to depend upon except himself, but he worked hard and suc- 
ceeded in whatever he undertook. He could draw almost any- 
thing that he tried, so he determined to be an artist. But 
even while he was learning to paint pictures and landscapes, 
and was making money enough to support himself, he showed 
a great fondness for mechanics. He was constantly trying to 
make some kind of machine. When only fourteen years of age 
he made a model of a fishing boat with paddle wheels on each 
side to be worked by a crank. 

In those days there lived in England a great painter named 
Benjamin West. Fulton longed to go over to England and meet 
him, so he worked hard and saved his money, part of which he 
spent in buying a farm for his mother and sisters. He kept the 
rest of his money, and at the age of twenty-one sailed for Eng- 
land. There he became acquainted with West, who encouraged 
him and showed him many kindnesses, introducing young Fulton 
to many of the English noblemen, among whom was the Duke 
of Bridgewater. At this time in northern England coal had to 
be carried from one place to another on pack horses. The Duke 
advised Fulton to become a civil engineer, and to go to the 
north of England where he could aid in the building of canals to 
displace the pack horses. Fulton became greatly interested in 
canals, but when he saw how slow and difficult it was to carry on 
traffic with the boats drawn by a horse that walked along on the 
banks, he began to wonder if he could not make a steamboat. 
He saw the steam engines which Watt, the great English in- 
ventor, had made, and then Fulton conceived the plan of build- 
ing a boat and putting on each side of it two big wheels with 
paddles. Inside of the boat would be one of Watt's engines, 
the power of which would be applied to the axle on which the 
wheels were fastened. Fulton fully believed that such a boat 



ROBERT KULTOX. 



8 9 



would be a great success, but it was a long time before he 
could carry out his scheme. The people to whom he made 
known his plans did not believe in them. 

Up to this time all attempts to solve the problem of steam 
navigation had failed. Rumsey put a steamboat on the Potomac 

River and it succeeded ; but 
it ran only four miles an 
hour. Other inventors who 
had tried to run vessels by 
steam had been no more fortu- 
nate than Rumsey. 

Fulton went to Paris to 
experiment with some torpedo 
boats, and while there he met 
Robert Livingston of New 
York, who was the United 
States minister to France. He 
told Livingston of his scheme 
to build a steamboat, and they 
at once formed a partnership 
for testing Fulton's plans. 

Fulton had little money, 
so the means were furnished 
by Livingston. An engine, 
the plans of which were drawn 
by Fulton, was ordered from Watt's foundry at Birmingham, 
England, and was shipped to New York in 1806. Fulton came at 
once to New York, and began work on his boat. He found that 
more money was needed, and as Livingston had already furnished 
more than he promised, Fulton was forced to borrow. The 
story is told, that he had great difficulty in getting $1000, be- 
cause everybody believed that this undertaking was fool-hardy. 
Finally one prominent banker agreed to help, provided his name 




THE STATUE OF FULTON. 
(In the Capitol at Washington.) 



190 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



was not used. The gentleman said : " I shouldn't like for people 
to come after me to learn why I was such a dunce." 

After many delays, by August, 1807, Fulton had his steamboat 
ready for a trial trip. The vessel, which he named the Clermont^ 
was examined by a number of men of science, some of whom 
were very doubtful as to whether it would run. They did not 
believe that wheels with paddles turning in the water would 

run a boat. Fulton 




announced, however, 
that he w r ould make 
a trip from New York 
to Albany. When 
the Clermont steamed 
away from New York, 
everybody stood 
amazed. The distance 
from New York to 
Albany is only one 
hundred and sixty 
miles, and, though a 
sailboat sometimes 
the clermont. made the trip in six- 

teen hours, it often 
took a whole week. The Clermont on its first trip made the 
voyage in thirty-two hours and returned in thirty. This was 
regarded as a marvelous feat, and soon everybody was talking 
about Fulton and his steamboat. As the Clermont so excelled 
the sailing vessels in speed, it was plied regularly between New 
York and Albany. In a little while other steamboats were 
built, and, twelve years after, the first steamship crossed the 
Atlantic Ocean. 

Fulton died in 181 5. Fifteen years later the first steam rail- 
way was built in America (1830). Since the time of Fulton a 



ROBERT FULTON. I9I 

wonderful change has taken place in steam navigation. We now 
have magnificent steamers, plying between all the large cities 
of our country and crossing the ocean to Europe. All parts 
of our country arc easily reached because we have such 
splendid railroads; but one hundred years ago, before Fulton 
built his steamboat, there was no way of traveling except by 
sailing vessels, stagecoaches, and on horseback. Fulton gave 
the world a great gift in his little boat, the Clermont. 

Geography Study. Map of the United States. Find New York 
and Albany. On what river are these two cities located? How far is it 
from New York to Albany? How would you make the trip from New 
York to Albany? 

Review Questions. Why did our country prosper? What did 
Eli Whitney do? How did people travel a hundred years ago? Tell of 
the early life of Fulton. Why did he go to England? What did the 
Duke of Bridgewater advise Fulton to do? Who was Watt? What plan 
did Fulton conceive? What did Rumsey do? How did Livingston help 
Fulton? Tell of the building of the Clermont. What did men of science 
say about the boat? Tell of its first trip up the Hudson. For what has 
steam been used since the days of Fulton ? Tell of the difference between 
travel now and one hundred years ago. 




A MODERN STEAMSHIP. 




CHAPTER XXIV. 



Stephen Decatur. 

1779-1820. 



You remember that Napoleon said, when he signed the treaty 
selling us the Louisiana Territory, that England would some day 
have a great rival on the seas in the United States. At that time 
our nation was young and had made little progress as a com- 
mercial or naval power. To-day we have a great number of vessels 
which go to all parts of the world, and many of our cities have 
become large because of their commerce. When a country be- 
comes a great commercial power it is necessary to have a navy, 
and for that reason our navy is being improved every year. 

During the Revolutionary War we had practically no navy, but 
there were some American vessels which were bold and strong 
enough to stand against an English man-of-war. Such a vessel 
was the Bon Homme Richard, which was commanded by John Paul 
Jones. In this ship he roved the high seas and did much damage 
to English commerce. 

When Jefferson was President, we had a small, but strong navy. 
In the northern part of Africa is a small country called Tripoli, 
the ruler of which was at that time (1803) a pirate. The European 
nations' were accustomed to pay him large sums of money if he 
would not plunder their commerce. He demanded that the 
United States should do likewise; but Jefferson refused to pay 



STEPHEN DECATUR. I93 

him tribute, so Tripoli began to seize our merchant ships. Jef- 
ferson at once sent some war vessels against Tripoli, and forced 
her to stop robbing American vessels. One young man who dis- 
tinguished himself in this war against Tripoli was Stephen 
Decatur. 

Decatur was born in Maryland in 1779. His father was an 
officer in the United States navy, and at an early age young Deca- 
tur acquired a love for the sea. When he was only eight years 
old he made his first voyage with his father. He was educated at 
an academy in Philadelphia and afterwards entered the University 
of Pennsylvania. As a boy, he was good-tempered and full of 
mirth. He was not quarrelsome, and very seldom gave offense 
to any one, but he was bold and courageous, and was not slow to 
resent an injury. If he saw a young boy being imposed upon by 
an older one, he would always take the part of the small boy. He 
loved his mother dearly and would not allow her to be insulted. 
One day on returning home from a fishing trip, he found his 
mother soothing his younger brother John, who had received a 
blow from a drunken man, upon whom the little boy had played 
some childish prank. She upbraided the assailant for his unmanly 
treatment of her little son. Instead of apologizing, the man began 
to abuse Mrs. Decatur. At once young Stephen dropped his fish- 
ing rod and basket on the pavement and, walking up to the drunken 
man, said: " Do you know who that lady is, sir? That is my 
mother. She must be treated with respect." The man replied 
that he neither knew or cared who she was. Decatur then said, 
If you have any complaint to make against my brother, sir, make 
it to me." The man became very angry and made a blow at 
Stephen, who, striking back, knocked the drunken fellow down. 
Stephen's mother reproved him for this, but he replied, " Mother, 
you need not feel sorry, for he deserved it all." 

Decatur became greatly interested in mathematics and in the 
construction of ships. He went to work for a Philadelphia com- 



194 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 










) ® Li 




AMERICAN SAILORS FIRING ON A HOSTILE VESSEL. 

pany, the agents of the navy, who, in order to gratify his tastes, 
sent him into New Jersey to see to the getting out of the keel 
pieces for the frigate United States, which was then being built 
in Philadelphia. Young Decatur thus aided in the selection of 
the timber that was put into the war-vessel that he afterwards so 
gallantly commanded. 

Shortly after this he entered the United States navy and be- 
came a midshipman, in which position he was always faithful, 
kind-hearted, generous, noble and willing to sacrifice himself for 
others. One day a cry was heard upon deck : " A man over- 
board!" Decatur ran at once to the mizzen chains, plunged 
into the sea and saved the drowning man. 

The depredations of Tripoli upon the commerce of the United 
States caused President Jefferson to send a squadron under com- 
mand of Commodore Preble into the Mediterranean to force the 
Tripolitans to cease their piracy. With this naval force was 
Decatur, then a lieutenant. One of the American frigates, 
the Philadelphia, ran aground off Tripoli and was captured 
by the Tripolitans, and all the crew were thrown into prison. 
Preble sent Decatur to seize the Philadelphia 'and to burn it. On 
this perilous enterprise he was in command of the Intrepid. It 
was a cold winter night, and'a heavy gale was blowing in the 



STEPHEN DECATUR. I95 

Mediterranean. The Philadelphia contained forty mounted 
guns and was moored within one-half gun shot of the shore, and 
thus in range of ten shore batteries. Three Tripolitan cruisers, 
mounting together twenty-six guns, lay between the Philadelphia 
and the shore. 

In the dead of night, Decatur, in a little vessel mounting only 
four guns and manned by seventy men, silently sailed towards 
the great war-ship. He had no light to guide him, except the 
faint illumination of a crescent moon. The Intrepid had come 
within twenty yards of the Philadelphia^ when it was hailed 
and ordered to keep off. The Tripolitan captain thought it 
was an English man-of-war which had been purchased for the 
Tripolitans. Decatur conversed with him until he reached the 
side of the Philadelphia and called out " Board." He clambered 
over the rail and reached the enemy's deck, quickly followed by 
officers and crew to the number of sixty. The Tripolitans were 
so surprised that when Decatur and his men drew their swords 
and rushed upon them they were quickly overcome. Crowded 
together or trampling upon each other in an attempt to escape, 
the Tripolitans were either cut down or driven overboard. At 
once Decatur set fire to the Philadelphia, and he and his men 
returned to the Intrepid and sailed away. The batteries opened 
fire upon them, but failed to do any harm, and Decatur and his 
men escaped without loss of a life. 

A little later the Tripolitans were forced to makepeace, agree- 
ing not to trouble American commerce. When Decatur re- 
turned to America, he was warmly received in New York, Phila- 
delphia, Baltimore and Norfolk. Great dinners were given in 
his honor and he was everywhere regarded as a hero. Congress 
voted him a sword for his bravery. 

For some years England had been claiming the right to stop 
our ships on the high seas and search for English sailors who might 
be on board. Very many of our sailors were taken and forced to 



I96 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

fight in the wars that England was then waging against France. 
Our government regarded this as an outrage on the part of Eng- 
land, and several times objected, but without success ; so finally 
Congress, in 181 2, declared war against England for the protection 
of American sailors. A greater part of this war was fought on 
the sea. No one dreamed that the American navy could cope 
with that of England, and it was a great surprise and joy to the 
Americans when some of their vessels defeated and captured some 
English men-of-war. 

In this War of 1812, Decatur, who was now a commodore 
in the navy, took a prominent part. At the opening of the war 
he was in command of the frigate United States. Soon after put- 
ting to sea, he fell in with the English frigate Macedonian. The 
two vessels cleared their decks for action, and after a desperate 
struggle which lasted only a few minutes, the English frigate sur- 
rendered. The English vessel was boarded, and great was De- 
catur's surprise when he recognized the English commander, 
Captain Carden, as an old friend whom he had known when he 
was serving in the Mediterranean against the Tripolitans. Cap- 
tain Carden offered his sword on surrendering his ship, but De- 
catur declined, saying, " Sir, I cannot receive the sword of a man 
who has so bravely defended his ship." Captain Carden was re- 
ceived on board the United States as a friendly guest. For this 
victory Decatur received a gold medal from Congress, a sword 
from Pennsylvania, and another sword from Virginia. A mag- 
nificent banquet was given him in New York, and the whole 
country went wild with pride. 

Shortly after this Decatur took command of the frigate Presi- 
dent. He attacked the English frigate Endymion, and he was 
about to board her when the whole British squadron came up. 
The President made a brave fight, but was overpowered. Many 
of the sailors were wounded and at last Decatur himself felt 
called upon to surrender. Weary, wounded and a prisoner, he 



STEPHEN DECATUR. 



197 



entered the cockpit of* the President, where before him lay many 
of his brave sailors in the agony of death. The ship surgeon 
rushed up to him and inquired after his safety. Decatur quietly 
said: " When you have attended to these brave fellows, Doctor, 
I would thank you to look after my chest. It is very painful and 




THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE "MACEDONIAN AND THE UNITED STATES. 



I believe I have been hurt. ' ' It was found that he had received a 
violent blow on his chest and had been wounded in his forehead. 
Soon after this he was released and allowed to return to the United 
States. Although the loss of the President was a great blow to the 
country, the people felt proud of the stand Decatur had made 



I98 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

against a whole English squadron, and his surrender was regarded 
almost as a victory. 

There were other naval officers who distinguished themselves 
in this war. Captain Isaac Hull, with his frigate Constitution, 
defeated the English Guerriere. Captain Porter, commanding 
the Essex, won many victories and made a remarkable cruise in 
the Pacific Ocean. Captain Lawrence, commanding the Chesa- 
peake, boldly resisted the English Shannon, though his. men were 
forced to surrender when their captain fell mortally wounded. 
On Lake Erie, Captain Oliver H. Perry built several small vessels 
which he fitted up with guns. He attacked the English fleet that 
controlled the Lakes and captured it (1814). Captain McDon- 
ough, a great friend of Decatur, defeated the English fleet on 
Lake Champlain. 

The war with England was brought to a close by the treaty of 
Ghent, and since this war England has never tried to take our 
seamen from our vessels. 

While the War of 1812 was in progress, Tripoli, Algiers and 
Tunis began again to seize American merchant vessels and to 
make slaves of American seamen. As soon as peace was made 
with England, an American squadron was fitted out and placed 
under the command of Commodore Decatur. He sailed into the 
Mediterranean and forced Tripoli, Algiers and Tunis to release 
all Americans who had been made slaves, and to sign a treaty of 
peace agreeing never again to seize American merchant vessels. 
This war was the crowning success of Decatur, The American 
people honored him in many ways and until the War of Seces- 
sion he was our greatest naval hero. 

Decatur's death was a sad one. Until about thirty-five years 
ago, when two gentlemen quarreled, they would often fight a 
duel to settle the difference. If a man refused to fight when 
challenged to a duel, he was regarded as a coward. Commo- 
dore Barron, one of the best known officers in the navy, felt 



STEPHEN DECATUR. I 99 

that Decatur had done him an injustice. After a long correspond- 
ence they agreed to settle the dispute by a duel, near Washing- 
ton. The terms of agreement were: " The weapons shall be 
pistols; the distance, eight yards; the parties shall not fire 
before the word 'one' is given or after the word 'three' ; all words, 
'one, two, three,' shall be given by Commodore Bainbridge." 
The short distance of eight yards was fixed by Barron, who had 
sought the duel. Decatur had declared that he would take no 
man's life, but would fire at his opponent's hip. Early on the 
morning of the 226. of March, 1820, Decatur and Barron met 
on the famous dueling ground at Bladensburg near Washington 
City. Commodore Bainbridge stationed the duelists, and 
quickly gave the signal: " Present! one, two, three." At the 
word 'two,' both fired so exactly together, that only one report 
was heard. Commodore Barron fell, wounded in the right hip, 
according to the announced intention of Decatur. Decatur 
stood for a moment erect, and pressed his hand on his right side. 
He then fell, saying: "I am mortally wounded, and I wish I 
had fallen in the defense of my country." A few hours later he 
died a victim of the terrible custom of dueling, which public 
feeling no longer allows. 

Decatur was an honest and sincere man, and he served his 
country with an unselfish love. 

Geography Study. Map of Northern Africa. Find Tripoli, Algiers 
and Tunis. Map of the United States. Locate Maryland, Philadelphia and 
New York. Find Lake Erie and Lake Champlain. Name all of the Great 
Lakes. 

Review Questions. Has Napoleon's prediction about the United 
States come true? Who was John Paul Jones? What trouble did Jefferson 
have with Tripoli? Tell of the early life of Decatur. Tell of the capture 
and burning of the Philadelphia. How did the United States honor him? 
What were the causes of the War of 181 2? Tell of the capture of the 



200 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



Macedonian. Tell of his surrender of the President. What did Captain 
Hull do? What did Perry do on the Great Lakes? What did Captain 
MacDonough do? Has England ever seized our sailors since the War of 
1812? Tell of Decatur's expedition against Tripoli, Algiers and Tunis. 
Tell of Decatur's death. What sort of man was Decatur? 




A CHASE ON THE HIGH SEAS. 








■ The Cap, to! in I8Z5 



CHAPTER XXV. 



Andrew Jackson 

1767-1845. 



ABOUT the year 1765, Andrew Jackson, a native of Ireland, 
came to America to find a home for himself and family. He 
landed at Charleston, South Carolina, but soon afterwards moved 
to the Waxhaw settlement on the border between North and 
South Carolina. It was here that his distinguished son, Andrew, 
was born on the fifteenth of March, 1767. The elder Jackson died 
a few days before the birth of his namesake, leaving his children 
to be reared by his widow. 

Mrs. Jackson was not in needy circumstances, but was un- 
able to give her two older sons many advantages in the way of 
education. She had set her heart on Andrew's becoming a 
preacher, and so determined to give him the opportunity to get 
an education. In the Waxhaw settlement there was a good 
academy, Avhich was taught by a Mr. Humphreys in the neighbor- 
hood meeting-house. Andrew Jackson attended this school until 
he was about fourteen years old, and then he and his brother 
Robert joined the American army. The Revolutionary War was 
going on, and as the British troops were overrunning that sec- 
tion of North and South Carolina, all the men at once joined 
the army; so young Andrew along with the rest determined to 
be a soldier. 



202 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

He soon found that a soldier's lot is a hard one. He and his 
brother Robert were captured by the English. While Andrew 
was a captive, he was ordered to clean the boots of one of the 
officers. He refused to do this, and the officer struck at him with 
his sword and would have killed the young " rebel " if the latter 
had not warded off the blow with his arm. As it was, he was 
severely wounded. For a like offense his brother received a 
wound on his head, from which he afterwards died. 

For these acts of disobedience Andrew and Robert Jackson 
were put in jail and were very badly treated by their captors. 
Soon after the battle of Camden they were both set free by an 
exchange of some of the prisoners. Robert died shortly after 
gaining his freedom, and his mother lived only a few weeks after 
his death. After his release from captivity, Andrew had a severe 
attack of the small-pox, which almost ended his life. 

Again he started to school and pursued his studies until he 
was eighteen years old. He was now a wild, reckless young man 
and had no intention of becoming a minister. He went to Salis- 
bury, North Carolina, and studied law for two years, at the end 
of which time he was admitted to the bar. 

He thought he could do better in his profession in a new 
country, so he located at Nashville, now in Tennessee, but then 
in the Western District of North Carolina. Here he found a good 
opening for a young lawyer, though Nashville was then a frontier 
settlement in a thinly-populated region, in which Indian attacks 
were not uncommon occurrences. In 1796, when Tennessee be- 
came a state in the Union, Jackson was elected to a seat in the 
United States House of Representatives, but he did not hold this 
office very long, as he was chosen the next year to represent his 
adopted state in the United States Senate. He did not like 
politics, and so left the Senate in 1799. He was then appointed 
one of the judges of the Supreme Court of Tennessee, but re- 
signed this office after a few years. 



ANDREW JACKSON. 



203 



Jackson had a farm near Nashville which he called " The 
Hermitage." Here he spent some years very happily; but in 
1 81 2, when the second war between the United States and Great 
Britain broke out, he gave up the enjoyments of private life and 
offered his services to his country. 

During the early part of the war, Jackson saw only a few- 
months of service. It was not until the Creek Indians had 
taken up arms against the people of the South that he won a 



m'Hm - 




'dM±.M* • 





THE HERMITAGE. 

reputation as a leader. Tecumseh, a great Indian chief, had 
been in the South and had influenced the Creeks and Seminoles 
to attack the whites. 

In the southern part of what is now Alabama, was Fort 
Mimms, into which the people of the neighborhood had 
moved for protection against the Indians. Governor Claiborne 
of Louisiana sent some soldiers to reinforce the garrison 
of the fort, the command of which was given to Major 
Beasley. On the morning of August thirtieth, 181 3, at about 
ten o'clock, Major Beasley was engaged in writing a letter to 
Governor Claiborne, stating that he considered the place secure 
against the attack of the savages. Inside the fortifications there 



204 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

were five hundred and fifty-three persons, including men, women 
and children, negro slaves, and Indian allies. For many days 
they had seen no signs of Indians, and they thought that they 
would not be attacked by their savage enemy. The day before, 
two negro slaves had alarmed the garrison by running in and 
saying that they had seen twenty-four painted warriors. Some 
horsemen were sent out to look for these Indians, but they could 
find no trace of them. It was thought that the negroes had made 
a false report, and they were ordered to be whipped. 

During the entire forenoon one thousand Creek warriors lay 
quietly in a ravine close to the fort. When the drum beat for 
dinner these Indians ran across the field and rushed into 
the fort before the door could be closed. The men and even 
some of the women fought bravely, but at sunset more than four 
hundred persons,, including all the white women and children, 
had been killed. Such was the massacre of Fort Mimms. 

The news of the massacre swept over the country and greatly 
alarmed the people in the frontier settlements of the South. 
Many of them deserted their homes to go to places of safety. 
A body of soldiers was raised by Tennessee, and General Jack- 
son was put in command of them. About a month before this, 
he had received a severe wound in his shoulder, and he was weak 
from the loss of blood. But despite this, he appeared at the 
head of his troops, although he had to carry his arm in a sling. 
He defeated the Indians in several battles and finally gave 
them a crushing blow at Horseshoe Bend, a place in Alabama 
where the Tallapoosa River makes almost a complete circle. 

The second war against England (the War of 1812), of which 
you have learned in the chapter on Decatur, was then in 
progress, and Jackson was sent to New Orleans to oppose 
the English in their advance on that city. Here it was 
that he won the greatest victory of his entire military career. 
The battle of New Orleans was fought on Sunday, January 



2o6 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

the eighth, 1815. Jackson had been engaged for some time 
in getting his breastworks ready. These were made partly 
of mud from the Mississippi and partly of cotton bales. 
When the battle began, the cotton was set on fire by the hot 
shots of the enemy, but the English could not take the forti- 
fications. Jackson arranged his men in such a way that only the 
best marksmen were in front. They were to do the firing, and 
loaded guns were to be passed up to them by the men behind 
them. The English army was commanded by General Paken- 
ham, a brave and experienced leader. Jackson had ordered his 
men not to waste their powder and ball; so the English for a 
while marched forward without opposition. When they neared 
the American works they received a fierce cannonade, which tore 
gaps in their ranks. But they closed up, and kept advancing 
until they were within less than a hundred yards of the 
American lines, when they were checked by the rifle shots. 
The American marksmen aimed so well that nearly every shot 
killed an English soldier. The enemy could not advance under 
such a severe fire; so they broke and fled. Pakenham^was 
mortally wounded, and General Lambert succeeded to the com- 
mand. The English officers tried in vain to rally their men, 
and finally a retreat was ordered. 

By this victory General Jackson won a great name for himself. 
There was much rejoicing all over the country when the news of 
it was spread abroad. But it proved a useless battle, as the treaty 
of peace with England had already been signed. It took a long 
time then for news to cross the ocean, and the Americans did 
not know of the signing of the treaty until after they had re- 
joiced over General Jackson's victory. 

After the War of 181 2 Jackson was the hero of the American 
people, and his friends urged him for the presidency. He was 
a candidate in 1824, but John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts 
was elected. Four years later Jackson was elected as President, 



ANDREW JACKSON. 207 

and John C. Calhoun as Vice-President. Jackson served for two 
terms, and made a good President. During his administration, 
he caused the European powers to respect our country, and made 
of it a strong nation. The great issue of Jackson's time was 
concerning the National Bank, which was chartered by the 
United States government, and which had control of its money. 
Jackson said that the government's money ought to be handled 
by the treasury department, so he withdrew from the National 
Bank such money of the United States as was kept in it. For 
this action the politicians greatly complained of Jackson, but in 
after years it was seen that he had acted wisely. 

On retiring from the presidency, he spent his last years at 
his beautiful home, the Hermitage. Here he died June the 
eighth, 1845. 

"Old Hickory," as Jackson was called, was a man of strong 
will and of uncommon courage. He liked to have his way, how- 
ever, and did not always keep his temper under control. It was 
customary in his day for gentlemen to settle their quarrels by 
fighting duels, and General Jackson more than once took part in 
those deadly combats. But with all of his faults, he was a great 
man and performed invaluable service to his country. 

Geography Study. Map of Southern States. Find Waxhaw and 
Salisbury (N. C.) ; Nashville (Tenn.) : Fort Mimms and Tallapoosa River 
(Ala.) and New Orleans (La.). How far is New Orleans from the mouth 
of the Mississippi? 

Review Questions. Where was Andrew Jackson born? Tell of his 
education. Why did Jackson enter the army at such an early age? Tell 
of his treatment by the British. What profession did Jackson follow and 
where did he settle? How did Tennessee honor him? Tell of the mas- 
sacre of Fort Mimms. Tell of Jackson and the battle of Horseshoe Bend. 
Tell of Jackson's preparations for the battle of New Orleans. Describe 
the battle. Tell. of his election to the presidency. W T hat did he do with 
the National Bank? What kind of man was Jackson? 




The Charge at Sa'n Jacinto. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



Sam Houston. 

1793-1863. 

One of the bravest soldiers who took part in the battle 
of Horseshoe Bend was Sam Houston, a young ensign who was 
very anxious to win a name for himself. When he joined 
the army as a common soldier, his friends thought that he had 
made a great mistake and told him that his chances for rising 
into prominence were the very poorest. To these objections he 
replied, "You don't know me, but you shall hear of me." 

On leaving home, his mother gave him a gun and said to him, 
"There, my son, take this musket and never disgrace it; for re- 
member, I had rather all my sons should fill honorable graves, 
than that one of them should turn his back to save his life." 
He was not unworthy of such a mother. When the attack was 
made on the Indians at Horseshoe Bend, Sam Houston was the 
second man to scale the enemy's breastworks. Calling his com- 



SAM HOUSTON. 209 

rades to f How him, he rushed upon the Indians and fought them 
fiercely behind their own fortifications. He was wounded in the 
thigh with an arrow, which, on being pulled out, brought a stream 
of blood with it. General Jackson, coming up, ordered him out of 
battle ; but he insisted upon being allowed to fight, and was after- 
wards wounded in the right shoulder while making a bold attack 
on an Indian block-house. Though he was badly wounded, he 
received little attention that night. It was thought that he would 
surely die; and the doctors and nurses spent most of their time 
attending to those who had some chance of recovery. Two 
months after this he reached his home in Tennessee, but he had 
to be carried the entire distance on a litter. These wounds were 
never healed and he suffered from them as long as he lived. 

Sam Houston was born near Lexington, Virginia, in 1793. 
He did not go to school much before he was thirteen years old, 
at which time he had the misfortune to lose his father. After 
his father's death his mother moved to Tennessee with her six 
sons and three daughters, and settled in the neighborhood of 
the Cherokee Indians. The Houston family occupied land 
which had never been cultivated, and Sam assisted his brothers 
in the hard work of clearing a farm in the forest, though he 
found time for a while to attend an academy in East Tennes- 
see. Into his hands fell some translations of Greek and Latin 
books, which he read with great eagerness. He was very much 
interested in the old war stories about the Roman and Greek 
heroes, and he is said to have been able to repeat Pope's trans- 
lation of Homer's Iliad word for word. He wanted to study 
Latin, but as his teacher would not allow him to do so, he declared 
that he would never recite another lesson. 

He left school, and his older brothers put him in a store. 
But he did not like this kind of work, so he ran away from home 
and spent some time living with the Cherokee Indians. In 1813 
he enlisted in the United States Army. His bravery at Horse- 



10 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



shoe Bend placed him high in the esteem of General Jackson, 
who was ever afterwards his faithful friend. 

At the age of twenty-five Sam Houston began to read law 
in Nashville, Tennessee. After six months of study he was ad- 
mitted to the bar, and entered upon the practice of his pro- 
fession at Lebanon, Tennessee. It was not long before he was 

elected to Congress, and after 
serving as a member of the 
House of Representatives for 
four years, he became gov- 
ernor of Tennessee. He was at 
first very popular as governor, 
but about two years after his 
election to this office an event 
occurred which caused many 
people in Tennessee to look 
upon him with disfavor. In 
1829 he married, and three 
months afterward he separated 
from his wife without giving 
any reason for his action. Be- 
cause of this separation a great 
many people spoke very bit- 
terly of him, though he still 
had many friends who took 
his part. He was too generous and gallant to defend his own 
reputation by attacking that of a woman, and he always said 
that he did not leave his wife because of anything against her 
character. It is now thought that Mrs. Houston did not love 
her husband, and that, on finding it out, Houston quietly left 
her, although he knew that he would make himself very un- 
popular by doing so. He resigned the governorship, left Ten- 
nessee, and went to live with his Cherokee friends. 




GENERAL HOUSTON. 



SAM HOUSTON. 211 

When a boy he had lived a while with these Indians, and one 
of the chiefs had adopted him as a son. This old chief, whose 
name was Oolooteka, now lived near the mouth of the Illinois 
River. He was rejoiced to hear that his adopted son was com- 
ing again to live with him, and when Houston came to see him, 
the old chief threw his arms about his neck and spoke words of 
affectionate welcome to him. Houston now took up his abode 
with the venerable Oolooteka, and soon became a great favorite 
with the Indians. Finding that the agents of the United 
States government were cheating the Indians, he went to Wash- 
ington to make complaint against the dishonest agents. Gen- 
eral Jackson was then President of the United States, and when 
the hero of Horseshoe Bend made his appearance in Washington 
dressed in the Indian garb, he was given a hearty welcome by 
his old friend the President. 

While in Washington, Houston was accused by Mr. William 
Stansberry, a member of the House of Representatives from 
Ohio, of trying by fraud to get a contract from the government 
to supply the Indians with provisions. This false charge made 
Houston very angry with the congressman and he determined to 
punish him for it. It was not long before he had the opportunity 
of doing so; for one night when he was walking along Pennsylvania 
Avenue, he saw Mr. Stansberry cross the street to the side on 
which he was walking. It is said that Mr. Stansberry intended 
to kill Houston, but before he could make the attempt 
Houston struck him over the head with his cane and knocked 
him down. Mr. Stansberry then rose and snapped a pistol at 
Houston, but it failed to fire. For this assault upon one of its 
members, the House of Representatives mildly censured 
Houston, and one of the courts of the District of Columbia 
fined him five hundred dollars, which President Jackson re- 
lieved him from paying. 

About the year 1821, emigrants from the United States be- 



212 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

gan to settle in Texas, which was then a part of Mexico, and in 
a few years they were pouring in from all parts of our country. 
These Americans brought with them their ideas of liberty and 
self-government. Mexico began to think that if she continued 
to allow the Americans to settle in Texas, her authority over the 
territory would be weakened ; so the Mexican government passed 
a law forbidding the Americans to settle in Texas, and began to 
govern Texas in a tyrannical way. High taxes were placed upon 
the people, and they were oppressed in other ways. Finally, 
Santa Anna, the Mexican president, ordered all the Texans to 
give up their guns. The people needed their weapons to provide 
themselves with game and also to protect themselves against the 
Indians. Liberty-loving Americans would not, of course, yield 
obedience to such an order, and war broke out. At Gonzales, a 
town about seventy miles from San Antonio, the Texans had a 
cannon which had been placed there to aid them in repelling 
Indian attacks. By order of Santa Anna, a Mexican colonel 
marched to Gonzales to take away this cannon. The people 
gathered at Gonzales to save their piece of artillery from seizure, 
and some skirmishing between them and the Mexicans resulted. 
This was the beginning of the war for Texan independ- 
ence. 

Soon after his visit to Washington Houston moved to Texas. 
He cast in his lot with those who were resisting the tyranny of 
Mexico, and was commander-in-chief of the Texan forces during 
a good part of the war. The most important battle of the 
struggle was fought near the San Jacinto Bay (1836). General 
Houston had less than eight hundred men, while Santa Anna, 
the Mexican general, had an army numbering two thousand 
men. The Texans went into battle with a feeling of dis- 
couragement because of the defeats that their brothers-in-arms 
had recently suffered. For Santa Anna had captured the Alamo, 
a fort near San Antonio, defended by one hundred and eighty 



SAM HOUSTON. 



213 



men, and had killed every person in the fort except a woman, 
her child and a negro. At Goliad also he had surrounded and 
massacred five hundred Texans. The thought of these mas- 
sacres filled Houston's troops with a dread of the Mexicans; but 
their general was confident of victory, and had the bridge across 
Buffalo Bayou secretly destroyed so that there could be no chance 
for either army to retreat. As they charged upon the enemy, 
the Texan soldiers shouted, " Remember the Alamo! Remem- 
ber the Alamo ! " 
In eighteen min- 
utes the Mexicans 
were utterly de- 
feated, and Texan 
independence was 
won. 

For the num- 
bers engaged, this 
was one of the 
bloodiest battles 
ever fought in 
our country. The 
Mexicans lost 
heavily in killed 

and wounded, while the loss of the Texans was only two killed 
and twenty-three wounded. Santa Anna was captured the day 
after the battle. 

Hardly had Texas gained her. independence before she ap- 
plied to the United States for admission as a state. Jackson 
had just retired from the presidency, and Martin Van Buren of 
New York had succeeded him. Texas held slaves, and for this 
reason Van Buren was opposed to her becoming a part of the 
United States. At this time there were twenty-six states in the 
Union, the thirteen original states and thirteen new ones which 




THE ALAMt 



214 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



had come into the Union by the consent of Congress.* Thirteen 
of the states held slaves, and thirteen did not. Texas being a slave 
state, all of the free states opposed her admission into the Union 
because they thought the slave power would become too great 
if there should be more slave than free states. Texas therefore 
had to wait for eight years before she was admitted as a state. 




THE PRESENT CAPITOL OF TEXAS. 

During this time she was known as the Republic of Texas, or 
the Lone Star Republic, because of her flag with one star. 
Houston was twice president of this republic. 

Van Buren was succeeded in the presidency in 1841 by Will- 
iam Henry Harrison of Ohio, who died a month after his inau- 
guration. He was succeeded by Vice-President John Tyler, of 

-The states which had been admitted by Congress were: Vermont (1791) ; 
Kentucky (1792); Tennessee (1796); Ohio (1803); Louisiana ( rS 1 2) ; Indiana 
(1816) ; Mississippi (1S17); Illinois (1S1S) ; Alabama (1819) ; Maine (1820); Mis- 
souri (1821) ; Arkansas (1S36) ; and Michigan (1S37). 



SAM HOUSTON. 21 5 

Virginia, who was greatly in favor of admitting Texas into the 
Union. Finally, by a treaty which was made with President 
Tyler, Texas was admitted in 1845, and thus became the twenty- 
eighth state of the Union, Florida having been admitted as a 
slave state a few months before. The northern people were 
greatly aroused because Texas was allowed to come into the 
Union, as there were now fifteen slave states and only thirteen 
free states. 

When Texas became a part of the United States, General 
Houston entered the United States Senate as one of her repre- 
sentatives. He stayed in -the Senate until just before the War 
between the States, when he became governor of Texas. He 
was opposed to secession, and when his state left the Union, he 
refused to take an oath to support the Confederate government. 
The office of governor was taken from him because of this re- 
fusal, and he retired from public life. On account of unwilling- 
ness to oppose the people of his own state, he quietly gave up 
his office and allowed his son to enter the Confederate army. 
He died in 1863. Texas will always honor his memory, for it 
was mainly through his efforts that she gained her independence 
from Mexico. 

Geography Study. Map of the Southern States. Locate Lexington 
(Va.) ; Nashville (Tenn.) ; Gonzales, San Antonio and San Jacinto River 
(Texas). How large is Texas? How far is it from Virginia to Texas? 
How would you make the journey by land from Virginia through Ten- 
nessee to Texas? 

Review Questions. Tell of Sam Houston at the battle of Horse- 
shoe Bend. Tell of his early life and his education. Tell of the position 
which he held in Tennessee. Why did he leave Tennessee? Tell of 
Houston and the Cherokee Indians. For what purpose did he go to 
Washington? Tell of the fight with Mr. Stansberry. Why did Mexico 



2l6 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



try to keep Americans out of Texas? Tell of the war between Mexico 
and Texas, and the part which Houston took in it. Describe the battle 
of San Jacinto. Why was it that Texas had such a hard time to get into 
the Union? Tell of Houston's last years. 









rffi^p 



i;li: 



' Giva Them a Little More Grape, Captain Bragg. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



Zachary Taylor, 

1784=1850. 



At the close of the Revolutionary War there were only a 
few white settlers in Kentucky, and they lived in almost constant 
danger of attack from the Indians, who were unwilling to share 
their hunting grounds with the " pale faces," and made great 
efforts to drive them out. A strife was kept up almost con- 
stantly between the two races, and the Indian tribes also often 
fought among themselves. In this way much blood was shed; 
and the country was called Kentucky, which is an Indian word 
meaning Dark and Bloody Ground. 

It was here and under such circumstances as have been de- 
scribed that the childhood of General Zachary Taylor was spent. 
He was born in Orange County, Virginia, in 1784; but his father, 
Colonel Taylor, moved his family to Kentucky when his infant 
son was less than a year old. 

From childhood Taylor was familiar with Indian fighting. 
A week seldom went by without the savages making an attack 



218 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



somewhere in the neighborhood. Every night Colonel Taylor 
had the doors of his house barricaded and the guns made ready 
for use so that his family would be prepared for a sudden attack. 
The Indians sometimes surprised boys on their way to school 
and murdered them. One day some school children, after part- 
ing with Zachary Taylor and his brother, were killed by the 
Indians. This occurred within a hundred yards of the place 
where the Taylor boys had left them. 

Taylor's opportunities for an education were very poor, but 

he was so anxious to learn and he 
studied so well, that he knew a 
great deal more than one would 
expect from the schooling he re- 
ceived. When a youth, he spent 
a good deal of time in hunting, 
fishing and other outdoor sports. 
According to one story, at the age 
of seventeen, " he swam across 
the Ohio River from the Kentucky 
to the Indiana shore in the month 
of March, when the river was filled 
with floating ice." 
When Taylor was twenty-three years old, he was commis- 
sioned a lieutenant in the army by President Jefferson, and in 
1810 the rank of captain was conferred upon him by President 
Madison. 

His activity in the War of 1812 was confined to Indian 
fighting. In the first part of the war he was put in command 
of Fort Harrison in Indiana. He was attacked one night in 
September, 1812, by a force of four hundred and fifty Indians. 
He had only fifty men who "were worn down, and disabled by 
their long and serious service." The savages surrounded the 
fort and tried all night to capture it; but the garrison held out 




GENERAL TAYLOR. 



zachary taylor: 



219 



firmly and next morning the enemy retired. Captain Taylor 
lost only two men killed and two men wounded. The victory 




FroJii a painting by Chapin. 

THE BATTLE OF OKEECHOBEE. 

was due mainly to his bravery and judgment. For this gallant 
defence of the fort he was made a major and enjoyed the praises 
of the people of the entire western country. 

In 1835 the Seminole Indians in Florida took up arms against 
the whites. Their leader was Osceola, who had been put in 
irons for threats that he had made. He was soon released, and 
after this, he attacked a body of one hundred and ten United 
States troops and massacred all of them but one. Taylor, who 
then had the rank of colonel, was ordered to go to Florida to sub- 
due the hostile savages. It was no easy matter to conquer them, 
as they would hide in the swamps and thus escape the pursuit of 
the soldiers. Finally, on December 25, 1837, Colonel Taylor 
came upon the Indians in the Okeechobee Swamp. . The Indian 



220 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



force numbered seven hundred well-armed warriors, who were 
fine marksmen, and they occupied a position from which they 
could be driven only with great difficulty. There was a swamp 
on two sides of them and a lake on the third. The American 
soldiers marched to the attack, wading in mud up to their 
knees. The Indians fired at them from behind bushes and killed 




From a painting by Ckafiin. 

GENERAL TAYLOR AT THE BATTLE OF MONTEREY 



many of them. Colonel Taylor, in order to encourage his men, 
went bravely into places of the greatest danger, and coolly directed 
the movements of his troops while bullets were flying fast about 
him. It was a fierce struggle and lasted three hours. The 
Seminoles were so completey defeated that they were never 
afterwards able to fight in open battle with the whites. 

In 1845 James K. Polk became President of the United 
States. He had been elected just before Texas was admitted 



ZACHARY TAYLOR. 221 

into the Union as a state. The admission of Texas produced 
bad feeling between the United States and Mexico, which had 
not yet given up her claim to Texas. Besides, there was a dis- 
pute as to what was the boundary line between Texas and Mex- 
ico, the United States claiming the Rio Grande, and Mexico the 
Nueces River as the southern limit of Texas. President Polk 
sent General Taylor in 1846 with a force into the disputed coun- 
try ; the Mexicans attacked him and at once Congress declared 
war. 

General Taylor took a leading part in the Mexican war. Pie 
gained several victories, the most important of which were those 
of Monterey and Buena Vista. 

Monterey is a city situated in the northwestern part of Mex- 
ico. Its position is strong by nature, and it was well fortified. 
General Taylor's army was very small, being not much more 
than half as large as the garrison in the town. Taylor made a 
bold attack and entered the city. The American troops made 
their way to the central square by going through the walls from 
one house to another. The city was captured and the garrison 
surrendered. 

Soon after this, Santa Anna attacked Taylor at Buena Vista 
with an army of twenty thousand men. Taylor had only 5,400 
men. The battle began on the twenty-second of February, 
1847, but very little fighting was done that day. After a few 
cannon shots had been fired on both sides, Santa Anna sent a 
messenger to General Taylor, asking him to surrender at once. 
In this message he told how large the Mexican army was and 
said that a battle would only cause a useless spilling of blood. 
" General Taylor never surrenders," was the brief but firm 
reply. 

Next day the battle was fought in earnest. It began early 
in the morning and lasted till night. Several times during the 
day it seemed that the Americans would be defeated, but when 



222 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

night put an end to the contest, they had won a great victory. 
Once when it looked as if the day was going against the Ameri- 
cans, General Taylor rode up to Captain Bragg, who commanded 
some of the artillery, and said, " Give them a little more grape, 
Captain Bragg." The enemy could not stand the terrible fire 
that then poured forth from Bragg's cannon. They fell back, 
and during the night Santa Anna retreated. 

General Taylor was often in the thickest of the fight, and 
he had two bullets pass through his clothes. Seated on his 
white horse, he rode about from place to place directing the 
movements of his troops. Some one told him that he ought not 
to ride so conspicuous a horse, as the enemy might single him 
out and direct their shots against him. He replied that " Old 
Whitey " had missed the fun at Monterey, and he was deter- 
mined that he should now enjoy it. About three or four o'clock 
in the afternoon he rode to a height where he could see the move- 
ments of both armies. Some of his staff came up and insisted 
on his going away from such a dangerous place, but he refused 
to move. For some time he sat quietly on his horse with his 
right leg over the pommel of the saddle. When he saw the en- 
emy retreating, he was no longer calm and quiet; but was so 
excited that he wept for joy, and " fairly danced in his stir- 
rups." This victory made " Old Rough and Ready," as he 
was called, a great hero in the eyes of the people. 

In the spring of [847, General Win field Scott led an expedi- 
tion into Mexico. He landed at Vera Cruz and marched to the 
City of Mexico, gaining victories on the way. In the fall of 
1847, tne Mexican capital fell into the hands of the Americans, 
and the war was over, though the treaty of peace was not signed 
until February, 1848. 

By the terms of the treaty, Mexico gave up her claim to 
Texas, and in addition ceded to the United States a great area of 
land north and west of Texas, from which have been formed the 



ZACHARY TAYLOR. 223 

states of California, Nevada, Utah and the territories of New 
Mexico and Arizona. For this vast territory the United States 
paid Mexico fifteen million dollars. 




THE UNITED STATES IN 1846 AND 1S4S. 



The battle of Buena Vista made General Taylor the most 
popular man in the United States, and in 1848 he was elected 
President. He lived only sixteen months after his inaugura- 



224 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

tion and died July 9, 1850. Vice-President Millard Fillmore 
succeeded him. General Taylor bad sought honestly and faith- 
fully to perform his duty as President. His last words were, 
" I have tried to do my duty. I am not afraid to die." 

He owned a fine estate in Louisiana near Baton Rouge, and 
he had longed to devote his whole time to farming, as Wash- 
ington, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe had done at the close 
of their public services; but the United States so often needed 
Tavlor's services that his wish was never gratified. His re- 
mains were interred in the family burying ground near Louis- 
ville, Ky. 

Geography Study. Map of the United States and Mexico. What 
states are north of Kentucky? Find Okeechobee Swamp (Fla.) ; the 
Rio Grande and Nueces River (Tex.) ; Monterey, Buena Vista, Vera 
Cruz and City of Mexico (Mexico). Locate California, Nevada, Utah, 
New Mexico and Arizona. How far is it from Vera Cruz to the City 
of Mexico? 

Review Questions. What was the condition of Kentucky at the 
close of the Revolution? Tell of some of Taylor's experiences as a 
boy in Kentucky. Why do you think that he was a very strong boy?. 
What offices did he hold in the army of the United States? Tell of his 
defense of Fort Harrison. Describe the battle of Okeechobee Swamp. 
What were the causes of the war with Mexico? Tell of the capture of 
Monterey. Describe the battle of Buena Vista. How did the war end? 
What were the terms of the treaty? How did the American people honor 
Taylor? Tell of his death. What had been his desire? 




Clay's Early Exercise in Oratory. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Henry Clay. 

1777-1852. 



Henry Clay was born in Hanover County, Virginia, April 
12, 1777. The part of the country in which the first years of 
his life were spent was a swampy region known as " The Slashes." 
His father, a Baptist preacher, died before his distinguished son 
had reached the age of five years. His mother, however, was 
very anxious that her son should advance in the world, and de- 
termined to give him all the education that she could. He was 
sent to a neighborhood school taught by an Englishman named 
Deacon, and kept in a log cabin with a dirt floor. Like the other 
boys in the community, young Clay had home duties to perform 
while he was going to school. He frequently went to mill on 
horseback to get flour and meal for the use of his mother's 
family. For this reason in after years, when he had become 
famous, people spoke of him as " the mill boy of the Slashes." 

When he was fourteen years old, Henry Clay became a sales- 
man in a store in Richmond. He attended to his business well, 
and spent much of his spare time in reading. A year later he 
was made assistant to the clerk of the Virginia High Court of 
Chancery, which sat in Richmond. When he began work at 
his new place, the other clerks were inclined to laugh at him. 



226 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

He was tall and awkward, and wore a suit of home-made clothes 
" resembling in color a mixture of pepper and salt." But no- 
body laughs long at a good-natured boy, if he shows independ- 
ence of spirit. Henry Clay was both amiable and independent, 
and as he possessed many other manly traits of character, he soon 
became popular with his associates. The habit of reading dur- 
ing his leisure hours was kept up here, just as it had been when 
he was working in the store. 

At this time, the Judge of the High Court of Chancery, who 
was called Chancellor, was George Wythe, an eminent lawyer 
and a great and good man. He needed some one to write up 
his decisions for him and asked the chief clerk to allow Henry 
Clay to do it. Accordingly, for the next four years the young 
assistant had the advantage of associating with one of the most 
learned men in Virginia. Chancellor Wythe took great inter- 
est in him, and advised him as to what books he should read 
and study. 

After serving as a clerk for four years, Henry Clay studied 
law for one year in the office of Mr. Brooke, the attorney-general 
of Virginia, at the end of which time he was given a license to 
practice law. In 1797, in the twenty-first year of his age, he 
left Virginia to go to Lexington, Kentucky. He continued 
his law studies a few months in Lexington before applying for 
admission to the Kentucky bar. 

Up to this time, the only practice that Henry Clay had had 
in public speaking, was as a member of a debating society which 
he had organized while living in Richmond. But he had often 
recited pieces in the fields and forests where there were no 
hearers to embarrass him. In speaking of the value of this train- 
ing he afterwards said, " I owe my success in life to a single 
fact, namely, that at an early age I commenced, and continued 
for some years, the practice of daily reading and speaking the 
contents of some historical or scientific book. These off-hand 



HENRY CLAY. 



227 



efforts were sometimes made in a corn-field ; at others in a forest ; 
and not unfrequently in some distant barn, with the horse and 
ox for my only auditors." 

His first attempt at public speaking before a Kentucky audi- 
ence was made in a debating club, to which he belonged while 
he was a law student in Lexington. When he first joined the 
society he was very bashful and it 
was some time before he had the 
courage to take part in the 
speaking. One evening, after 
the other debaters had finished, 
he was heard to say in an under- 
tone that the subject had not 
been thoroughly discussed. Some 
of the members then insisted on 
his getting up and speaking on 
the question. He rose to com- 
ply with their request, but was 
so excited that he addressed the 
audience as " gentlemen of the 
jury." His hearers showed that 
they were very much amused at 
his mistake, and this so increased 
his embarrassment that when he 
again tried to speak, he repeated 
the same words. However, after 

a while he overcame his fright and made a fine speech, one of 
the best, it is said, that he ever delivered. 

Clay soon after began the practice of law, and was very suc- 
cessful. In 1806 he was appointed to the United States Senate. 
From this time most of his life was spent in the service of his 
country. For many years he was a member of the House of 
Representatives and was its speaker for fourteen years, with the 




HF.XRY CLAY. 



228 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

exception of two short intervals. When John Quincy Adams 
was president, Clay was secretary of state; after this he was 
four times a candidate for the presidency, but was never 
honored with an election to that high office. Of the twenty 
years from 1832 to 1852 he spent thirteen in the United States 
Senate, and there his influence was always used for the preser- 
vation of the Union. 

Clay, of course, could not please all the* people in his district 
while in Congress, and when he went back to them he often 
had to explain why he voted for certain measures. He once 
voted for a law fixing the salary of Congressmen at the small 
sum of fifteen hundred dollars a year. Many of the people of 
his district thought this too large a sum, and when he next 
became a candidate for Congress, some of them opposed his 
reelection because he had supported the measure. Among those 
who were outspoken in their disapproval of the Compensation 
Bill, as it was called, was an old hunter who had been an ardent 
admirer of Clay, but who now declared he was going to vote 
against him. Just before the election day, Clay met his old friend 
and tried to win back his support. In the conversation that 
ensued, the following dialogue took place: " Have you a good 
rifle, my friend?" asked Mr. Clay. The hunter answered, 
"Yes." "Did it ever flash?" "Once only." "What did 
you do with it, throw it away?" " No, I picked the flint, tried 
it again, and brought down the game." ■' Have I ever flashed 
but upon the Compensation Bill?" " No.'' ' Will you throw 
me away?" The hunter instantly replied, " No, no, I will pick 
the flint, and try again." 

Henry Clay was called the " Great Pacificator," because he 
did all he could to allay the strife that arose between the North 
and the South over the slavery question. The contest over 
slavery began in Congress in 1820 when Missouri asked to be 
admitted into the Union as a slave state. A majority of the 



HENRY CLAY. 



229 



Northern people were unwilling for Missouri to be a state except 
on condition that slavery be forbidden within her limits. On 
the.other hand, the Southern people, as a rule, argued that Con- 
gress did not have the authority to say whether Missouri should 
or should not have slaves when she became a state, but that 




From a painting by AY 



CLAY MAKING HIS PLEA FOR COMPROMISE. 



only the Missourians themselves had the right to settle that 
question. This dispute was causing much bad feeling between 
the two sections of the country, when a compromise bill, which 
was strongly advocated by Clay, passed Congress and for a while 
quieted the country. This law provided that Missouri should 
become a state without giving up her slaves, but that slavery 



230 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

should not be allowed anywhere else west of the Mississippi 
River and north of latitude 36 and 30', which is the southern 
boundary of Missouri. This was the " Missouri Compromise^." 
But the slavery dispute was by no means finally settled by the 
Missouri Compromise. It arose from time to time until the great 
war between the states put an end to it. 

When the United States went to war with Mexico, the North- 
ern states opposed the war because they thought that hew terri- 
tory would be gained which might be made into slave states. An 
attempt was made in Congress to pass a law to prevent the 
admission of any more slave states into the Union ; and, though 
Congress refused to pass such an act, the Northern people were 
so set in their opposition to slavery, that no more slave states 
came into the Union after the admission of Texas. 

Just one year after the treaty of peace had been signed with 
Mexico, whereby the United States gained so much territory, 
a man named Marshall was building a dam across a small river 
in California. He saw in the bottom of the stream a yellow shin- 
ing substance. He took some of it and beat it out, and saw that 
it was metal. He then found that it would melt. He poured 
acid on it, but it would not dissolve. Then he knew that it was 
gold. The news spread rapidly; thousands of emigrants rushed 
for California, which in a short time had a population large 
enough to become a state. 

When California applied in 1850 for admission as a state 
without slavery, a violent dispute arose in Congress over the 
slavery question. Those who favored slavery said that, as apart 
of California is south of the line that runs through the southern 
boundary of Missouri (36 30'), to admit her as a free state would 
be to do away with the Missouri Compromise. Those who were 
opposed to slavery were equally anxious for the admission of Cali- 
fornia with her anti-slavery constitution, and at one time it al- 
most seemed that the strife would break up the Union. Henry 



HENRY CLAY. 2 3 T 



Clay was in the Senate at the time and, though an old man, he 
made one more attempt to keep peace between the opposing 
parties He offered, as a compromise, a bill having some pro- 
visions to suit the North and some to suit the South. This was 
known as the " Omnibus Bill." _ 

After some months of violent debate, the propositions of this 
bill were agreed to by Congress, but not until some important 
chan-es had been made in the resolutions first offered by Clay. 
The Taw, as finally adopted, provided that California should be 
admitted as a free state; that the buying and selling of slaves 
should not be allowed in the District of Columbia; that Utah 
and New Mexico should be formed into territories without nam- 
ing any conditions regarding slavery, and that the free states 
should return runaway slaves to their masters in the slave states. 
The passage of this measure somewhat quieted the slavery 
dispute for the time being, but the North refused to return the 
runaway slaves. This action of the North angered the South, 
and had much to do with bringing on secession. 

Clay lived only two years longer. He died in Washington, 
Tune -g 1852. His remains were carried to Lexington 
Kentucky, for burial. Probably no one since the days of 
Washington had been more beloved by the American people 
than the Great Pacificator, and on the morning of the funeral 
the streets of Lexington were thronged with mourners from 
all parts of the country. The crowd that was present on that 
occasion was estimated at nearly one hundred thousand 

Henry Clay had a very pleasing manner which won for him 
many friends. One of his political enemies, who sincerely de- 
sired to hate Clay, once refused to be introduced to him, because 
he feared that an acquaintance with the great statesman would 
change his hatred into admiration. 

Clay used his great powers of oratory, and his ability as a 
statesman for the advancement of his country's welfare. He 



232 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

had the courage to advocate measures that he thought were right 
even if he knew that by so doing he would cause his popularity to 
suffer. Once, when he was strongly urging a compromise on the 
slavery dispute, one of his friends told him that, if he kept pur- 
suing the compromise policy, he would become unpopular with 
his party and thereby lose his chances for the presidency. To 
this he replied, 44 I had rather be right than President." 

Geography Study. Map of the United States. Find Missouri, 
California, New Mexico and Utah. Locate Lexington (Ky.) and Rich- 
mond (Va.). Trace the parallel of latitude 36° 30'. What is the capital 
of California? What mountains are in California? 

Review Questions. Tell where Clay was born and give an account 
of his early life. What work did he have when he lived in Richmond? 
What profession did he follow in Kentucky? Tell a story which shows 
Clay's bashfulness. Tell about Clay in public life. Give the conversation 
between Clay and an old hunter. Tell of the Missouri Compromise. 
Which was the last slave state admitted? What stand did the North take 
about admitting slave states? Tell of the finding of gold in California. 
Tell of the Omnibus Bill of 1850. Tell of the death and burial of 
Clay. What kind of man was he? 




Daniel Webster at School 



CHAPTER XXIX, 



Daniel Webster, 



1782-1852. 



When Henry Clay was reading law in Richmond, Virginia, 
preparatory to entering upon his profession, Daniel Webster, a 
weakly boy, about fourteen years old, was pursuing his studies in 
Phillips Academy in New Hampshire. As Clay was at first too 
bashful to take an active part in the debating society to which he 
belonged, so Webster was too timid to recite before the school 
the pieces that he had memorized. 

Daniel Webster was born at Salisbury, New Hampshire, 
January iS, 1782. His birthplace was a farm house, one story 
high, with a large chimney in the center. The scenery about 
this New England home was pleasing to the eye. A beautiful 
stream ran in front of the house, and the lofty Kearsarge Moun- 
tain was not far distant. 

Daniel Webster's first teacher was his mother, who taught 
him how to spell af a very early age. In after years, he said that 
he could not remember the time when he could not read the 
Bible. His father, Colonel Webster, often read aloud to his 
children, and Daniel learned a great deal from listening to him. 
He also read many books for himself. These were obtained 
from his father's collection and the village library. 



234 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



Near his home there was a deep, densely wooded dell, through 
which flowed a swift stream. Here his father had a sawmill and 
young Webster sometimes had to assist in the work at the mill. 
One of his duties was to watch the saw until it had gone through 
the log and then to re-adjust it. To saw off one plank gener- 
ally took about fifteen minutes, during which time he was at 
leisure. This time of waiting he spent in reading, and in this 

way he gained an acquaintance 
with some of the world's best 
authors. 

When a boy, Webster's 
health was not good, and his 
parents thought that he would 
not be able to earn a living by 
working on a farm. For this 
reason and also because he had 
already shown unusual ability 
as a student, it was decided 
that he should be educated as 
a teacher. 

Phillips Academy, in Exeter, 
New Hampshire, was then, as 
now, one of the best academies 
in New England; so to this 
school Colonel Webster determined to send his son. Accord- 
ingly, one May morning (1796) young Webster left home for the 
academy accompanied by his father. They went on horseback 
and reached Exeter at the end of a three days' journey. 

When he entered the academy, he was put at the foot of 
the class. His low class-standing, together with his awkward, 
country-like manners, caused the boys to laugh at him. Such 
treatment made him unhappy at first, but one of the teachers 
told him not to mind it and that the boys would not keep up 




DANIEL WEBSTER. 



DANIEL WEBSTER. 2 35 

their ridicule long. After he had been at school one quarter, 
the assistant tutor called up the class one morning, having 
the students take their usual positions. He then went to the 
foot and marched Webster to the head of the class, saying, 
" There, sir, that is your proper place." 

Colonel Webster decided that, as his son had been so success- 
ful at the academy, he would give him a college education. At 
that time it was considered an even greater privilege than it is 
now to be able to attend college, and when Colonel Webster 
made known his intention to his son one day, while they were 
riding together in a sleigh, Daniel was overcome with the feel- 
ing of gratitude and could say nothing, but only laid his head 
on his father's shoulder and wept. 

Webster entered Dartmouth College in 1797, at the age of 
fifteen On graduating, he read law in the office of a Mr. 
Thompson, who lived near Colonel Webster's home. Webster 
afterwards went to Boston to pursue his legal studies further 
under the direction of the Hon. Christopher Gore, with whom he 
studied for one year. He was then admitted to the bar. 

About this time, the clerkship of one of the county courts 
of New Hampshire was offered to him. His father was judge 
of this court, and was very anxious for his son to accept the 
place It paid fifteen hundred dollars a year, which was, for 
that time, a high salary. The young lawyer advised with Mr. 
Gore who told him not to accept the position, but to continue 
the study of the law. Mr. Gore told him that if he were to ac- 
cept the office he would very probably be a clerk all his life. 
Webster thought that his talent would insure him a higher po- 
sition than that of recording the acts of other men, so he refused 

the clerkship. . 

He started out in his profession as a country lawyer in JNew 
Hampshire, and in a short while became a member of Congress. 
After some years he moved to Massachusetts, and that state be- 



2^5 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



came his permanent home. For a while he devoted his time to 
the practice of his profession, but soon his adopted state called 
upon him to represent her in Congress. He was first a member 
of the House of Representatives, and afterwards was United 
States Senator. He was secretary of state during a part of 
the Harrison-Tyler administration, and also held the same office 
under President Fillmore. 

While he was secretary of state he negotiated with Lord 
Ashburton, the English representative, a treaty, known as the 
Ashburton Treaty, which settled the boundary line between 

the English dominions in 




7 \ /n — t — 



N T CESSION. 



ce I'll 111! 



America and the United 
States from Maine to the 
Rocky Mountains. This was 
a very important treaty be- 
cause many had feared that 
the United States and Eng- 
land would go to war on 
account of the dispute con- 
the dividing line between the two countries. The 
boundary from the Rock)' Mountains to the Pacific Ocean was 
left unsettled, but it was understood that those who would 
first occupy the so-called Oregon Country, lying to the west of 
the Rocky Mountains, and extending along the Pacific Ocean 
from the 43d parallel of latitude to the southern limit of Alaska 
(latitude 54 40'), would be entitled to the territory. Four 
years later another treaty was made with England by which 
the Oregon Country was cut in two by the 49th parallel of 
latitude, and the United States were given the southern part. 
From this territory have been formed the states of Oregon, 
Idaho and Washington. The northern part, now known as 
British Columbia, was given to England. 

The story goes that Webster, in negotiating with Lord Ash- 



DANIEL WEBSTER. 237 

burton, was about to give to England all of the territory west of 
the Rocky Mountains north of latitude 42 , and that he was pre- 
vented from doing so by a report which was given of that great 
country by the Rev. Dr. Marcus Whitman. Marcus Whitman, 
who was a native of New York, had been sent by the Presby- 
terian Church as a missionary to the Indians west of the Rocky 
Mountains. Whitman saw what a fine country Oregon was, 
and that the English were trying to get it. To prevent this, he 
rode all the way from Oregon to Washington City. This is one 
of the famous rides in history, and is called the " Ride for Ore- 
gon," as it was made to save Oregon from the English. In his 
trip from Oregon Whitman suffered intensely, sometimes being 
almost frozen to death and at others nearly starved; but he 
pushed on and finally reached Washington City. He told Pres- 
ident Tyler and Secretary Webster of the resources of the Ore- 
gon Country. To make sure that the English would not secure 
it, he persuaded settlers to go from the East to Oregon, and 
thus the section was saved for the United States. 

After Webster had made the treaty with the English, he re- 
signed the office of secretary of state, and returned to the Sen- 
ate. He was one of the greatest orators and debaters in that 
body. He advocated a strong Union, and was always opposed 
to states-rights. 

Probably the greatest speech he ever made was delivered in 
the Senate in reply to the South Carolina Senator, Robert Y. 
Hayne, who had ably contended before the Senate that a state 
had the right to prevent the enforcement within its borders of 
any law passed by Congress if it thought that Congress had no 
right to make such a law. This was known as the doctrine 
of nullification. Webster contended that the states had no 
such powers, and replied to Colonel Hayne, setting forth his 
views concerning the nature of the Union. It was known be- 
forehand on what day he would speak, and, when the time 



238 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

came, the "galleries, floors and even the stairways" of the 
Senate Chamber were crowded with people. ' The House of 
Representatives was deserted," the members absenting them- 
selves to hear Webster. The floor of the Senate Chamber was 
so crowded that no one could push his way out after getting 
inside. The speech was worthy the man and the occasion, and 
was even better than the eager crowd had expected. Webster 

not only claimed that a state could 
not nullify a law, but that the Union 
could not be broken up. 

That evening a reception was given 
by the President at the White House. 
Both Hayne and Webster were pres- 
ent, and each was surrounded by his 
friends and admirers. After talking 
to those about him for a while, Hayne 
went over to the opposite side of the 
room to congratulate his opponent on 

senator hayne ^ ls ^ ne s P eecn - When Webster saw 

him co-ming, he advanced to meet him, 
gave him his hand, and said, " How are you, Colonel Hayne?" 
The latter replied, " None the better for you, Sir." 

When Clay introduced his Omnibus Bill in 1850, Webster 
approved of it, and his last great speech in Congress was made 
in favor of Clay's measure. When he rose, the galleries and 
lobbies of the Senate were hushed in deep silence. After a 
strong and able plea, he concluded: " My object is peace, my 
object is conciliation; my purpose is not to make up a case for 
the North, or to make up a case for the South. My object is 
not to continue useless and irritating controversies. I am against 
agitations, North and South ; I am against local ideas, North 
and South, and against all narrow and local contests. I am an 
American and I know no locality in America. This is my 




DANIEL WEBSTER. 239 

country. My heart, my sentiments, my judgment demand of 
me that I shall ever pursue such a course as shall promote the 
good and the harmony and the union of the whole country. 
This I shall do, God willing, to the end of the chapter." 

This was Webster's last great speech. Shortly after this he 
resigned his seat in the Senate to become secretary of state 
under President Fillmore. Two years later he died, greatly 
mourned throughout the Union. 

Webster was a great statesman. He loved the Union, and 
wanted to preserve it, but he always feared that the slavery ques- 
tion would lead to secession and to war. He was an honest and 
plain man. 

His unassuming way of living is well shown by a story that 
is told of him. He was fond of hunting, and was a fine marks- 
man. When dressed for a hunting excursion, he looked no 
more like a statesman than did his fellow-sportsmen. He and 
his man were once out in search of game near his home when 
they met some nicely dressed young Bostonians, who were 
also hunting. These young men were anxious to get over a 
swamp without wading through it; and thinking that Webster 
was a plain countryman, these " Boston snobs" asked him to 
carry them across the marsh. He agreed to do so, and accepted 
a quarter from each of them for his services. They then inquired 
as to whether '* Old man Webster" was at home, saying that 
they might want to dine with him if he were. Webster then 
made himself known to them and asked them home with him to 
dinner; but it is needless to say that they declined the invitation. 

Geography Study. Map of the United States. Find Xew Hampshire, 
Oregon, Idaho and Washington (State). Trace the boundary line between 
British America and the United States. What states border on it? How 
far is it from Oregon to Washington City? 

Review Questions. Tell of Webster's birthplace; of his early 



240 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



education and his work at a sawmill. Tell of his course at Phillips 
Academy. How did he receive the news that he was to be sent to 
college? Tell of his studying law and the declining of the clerkship. 
How did he succeed in New Hampshire? What state became his perma- 
nent home? What positions of honor did he hold? Tell of the Ash- 
burton Treaty. Tell the story of Marcus Whitman and the saving of 
Oregon. Tell of the Webster and Hayne debate in Congress. What 
stand did Webster take on the Omnibus Bill? Give the closing words of 
his speech in the Senate. What kind of man was Webster? Tell the story 
of the young Boston hunters. 





•^."■ l » c -- ,^>- 








'"' :■•■ It 



Webster's " S t u d j. . 




CHAPTER XXX. 

John C. Calhoun. 



Calhoun Studying La\ 



1782-1850. 



John Caldwell Calhoun was born in the Abbeville Dis- 
trict, South Carolina, March 18, 1782. His father, Patrick Cal- 
houn, was a native of Ireland, and was brought to this country 
by his parents when a mere child. Patrick Calhoun was a man 
of strong mind and great courage, and possessed to a marked 
degree that firmness of character for which his son John was so 
distinguished. 

That part of South Carolina in which the Calhoun family 
lived had no schools except the old field schools; so the youth 
of that section had poor opportunities for getting an education. 
John Calhoun received little school training until he was about 
thirteen years old, at which time he went to Columbia County, 
Georgia, to attend an academy conducted by his brother-in-law, 
Mr. Waddell, a Presbyterian minister. He now began the study 
of the higher branches, but, in a short while, the academy was 
closed and he had to give up his studies. He continued to live 
with Mr. Waddell for a few months, during which time he had 
little companionship, as his brother-in-law was frequently away 
from home. He spent his leisure hours in reading such books 
as he found in the small circulating library of which Mr. Wad- 



242 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. * 

dell was librarian. He read so much that he injured his health 
and his mother sent for him to come home. 

His father had died a short while before this, and John as- 
sumed the management of the farm. He found time for hunt- 
ing, fishing and other amusements, and his health was soon re- 
stored. At the end of four years he had become fond of farm- 
ing and thought of making it his life-work. But his brother 
James had planned differently for him, and insisted that John 
should leave the farm and prepare himself for a profession. Cal- 
houn said that he was not willing to take up a profession unless 
he could go to school long enough to qualify himself properly 
for it. It was better, he contended, "to be a farmer, than a 
half-informed lawyer or physician." However, arrangements 
were made for him to go to school, and when he was about eigh- 
teen years old, he resumed his studies in the Georgia Academy, 
which had re-opened in the meantime. 

After studying here for two years, he entered Yale College 
and graduated at the end of his second session. Dr. Dvvight 
was then president of Yale, and he and young Calhoun would 
sometimes get into discussions during class hours. Calhoun's 
views on the powers of the United States government were dif- 
ferent from those held by Dr. Dwight, and he was not afraid to 
express them openly. On one occasion Dr. Dwight questioned 
him as to his views on a certain point in politics. Calhoun 
stated his opinion freely, and argued his side so well that he 
made a fine impression on Dr. Dwight, who told some of his 
friends that the young man had enough ability to become Pres- 
ident of the United States. 

After graduating from Yale, Calhoun devoted the next three 
years to the study of law and to general reading. During 
about half of this time he resided at Litchfield, Connecticut, 
where there was a celebrated law school. He then studied for 
some time in the orifices of two prominent lawyers of Charleston, 



JOHN C. CALHOUN. 



243 



South Carolina, in order to qualify himself for practice in his own 
state, after which he was admitted to the bar, and soon took 
high rank in his profession. 

It was not long, however, before he entered public life. 
After he had been in the legislature of South Carolina for two 
terms, he was elected in 181 1 a member of the United States 
House of Representatives. In a few years he was one of the 
greatest speakers and statesmen of that body of distinguished 
men. After serving six years in 
the House of Representatives, 
he was offered the place of sec- 
retary of war by President Mon- 
roe. His friends advised him 
not to accept it, fearing that he 
would not be so successful a 
cabinet officer as he had been a 
congressman. But he thought 
differently, and therefore ac- 
cepted the offer. He introduced 
system into the management of 
the department, and was one of 
the best secretaries of war that 
we have ever had. After this he 
was twice vice-president of the 
United States, once under John 
Quincy Adams, and once under 

Andrew Jackson. He was secretary of state during' a part of 
Tyler's administration, and was for many years a member of 
the United States Senate. 

Calhoun was a man who usually thought that his opinions 
were correct, and he generally held to them regardless of oppo- 
sition. But when he found that he was wrong, he did not hesi- 
tate to change his position. For example, in the beginning of 




JOHN 



244 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

his career, he held views on the tariff question different from 
those of his later life. As you may know, a tariff is a tax, or 
duty, laid on goods brought into the United States from foreign 
countries. The money that is raised by this tax goes into the 
United States treasury. The importer, who pays this tax, of 
course, adds to the price of his commodities when he sells them 
to the consumer. This raising of the price of the goods benefits 
or protects the American manufacturer of the same kind of 
products, because he also can sell what he manufactures at a 
higher price than he could if there were no tariff. When a duty 
is laid on imported articles merely to raise money for the gov- 
ernment, it is called a tariff for revenue; but when it is im- 
posed in order to protect the manufacturer, it is called a protect- 
ive tariff. 

Now, Calhoun first believed that we should have a moderate 
tariff on articles imported from other countries, because he 
thought that our manufacturing industries, which were just 
starting up, needed some protection. But later, after he had 
given the subject more study, he came to the firm belief that the 
United States government did not have the power under the 
Constitution to tax imports for the sake of protection. 

In 1828 a very high tariff law was passed by Congress. At 
that time, American manufacturing was carried on chiefly in the 
North, while in the South the main occupation was farming. A 
high tariff law, as you may readily see, would make manufactured 
goods high, and would thereby benefit, or protect, the Northern 
manufacturer. On the other hand, the Southern farmer would 
have to pay a higher price for these articles when he bought them, 
and so it would work an injury to him. Consequently, the South 
was very much opposed to this law, which was termed the " Bill 
of Abominations." 

In South Carolina great complaint was made against the pro- 
tective tariff, but no action was taken against it until four years 



JOHN C. CALHOUN. 245 

later. In 1832 Congress passed another law, worse, in the eyes 
of the Southerners, than the one passed in 1828, and South 
Carolina called a convention of the people to consider the act. 
This convention declared that the law was " null and void," so 
far as South Carolina was concerned, and that it should not be 
carried out within the limits of that state. South Carolina also 
threatened to withdraw from the Union if the Federal govern- 
ment should try to enforce the law within the commonwealth. 
This is known as the Nullification Ordinance. 

Calhoun was a great believer in the doctrine of nullification, 
and he was probably more responsible than any one else for 
South Carolina's action. It was by his advice that the ordi- 
nance was passed. As soon as the Nullification Ordinance was 
adopted by South Carolina's Convention, the whole country be- 
came greatly excited. At one time it looked as if there would 
be civil war, because President Jackson was firm in his deter- 
mination that the tariff law should be enforced in all the states, 
and Congress empowered him to use United States troops in 
compelling the obedience of South Carolina. Calhoun was 
Vice-President, but he at once resigned and was elected by his 
state a member of the United States Senate, so that he might 
defend South Carolina in her opposition to the tariff measure. 
In the meantime, however, the tariff had been lowered by another 
law which had been passed by Congress. This law was more 
acceptable to the South, and South Carolina repealed her 
Ordinance of Nullification. 

Calhoun believed in the doctrine of peaceable secession, that 
is, that any state had the right to secede, or withdraw from the 
Union, whenever the Federal government deprived her of her 
rights, and that the United States had no right to force a seced- 
ing state back into the Union. He also believed that it was best 
for the negroes to remain slaves, and that to free them would 
bring calamity upon both the whites and the blacks. 



246 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

Ill his last speech, which was read before the Senate in March, 
1850, Calhoun strongly opposed the admission of California into 
the Union as a free state. He was in very feeble health at that 
time, and was not able to deliver his speech before the Senate, 
but had it read by Senator Mason of Virginia. His health con- 
tinued to grow worse, and on the thirty-first of March his end 
came. From Washington his remains were taken to South 
Carolina for burial. Eulogies on his character were pronounced 
in the United States Senate, and Daniel Webster, his chief po- 
litical opponent, was especially loud in his praises of the great 
Southerner. 

Calhoun was noted for his promptness, decision and inde- 
pendence of character. He had strong convictions and was 
unselfishly patriotic. Webster said: " He [Calhoun] had the 
indisputable basis of all high character — unspotted integrity and 
honor unimpeached. Nothing groveling, low, or meanly sel- 
fish came near his head or heart." 

Geography Study. Map of the United States. Locate South 
Carolina, Georgia and Connecticut. How would you travel from Charleston, 
S. C, to New Haven, Conn. ? How would you travel by water from 
California to Washington, D. C? 

Review Questions. Tell of Calhoun's early life and education. 
Tell what Dr. Dwight said of him. Where did he begin the practice of 
law? What positions of honor did he hold? What is meant by a pro- 
tective tariff? What was Calhoun's position on the tariff? What was the 
"Bill of Abominations"? Tell of South Carolina's nullification. What 
was Jackson's position? What did Calhoun believe about secession? 
What stand did Calhoun take with reference to the admission of California? 
Tell of his death and Webster's eulogy of him. 



McCormick Working in the Blacksmith Shop. 




CHAPTER XXXI. 

Morse and McCormick 



1791-1872. 



1809-1684. 



In some respects the two greatest inventions of the nine- 
teenth century were the electro-magnetic telegraph and the 
reaper. The electric telegraph was invented by Samuel Finley 
Breese Morse and the reaper by Cyrus Hall McCormick. 

Morse was born at Charlestown, in Massachusetts, and was 
the son of a New England minister. At four years of age he was 
sent to school to an old lady, who, being crippled, was unable to 
leave her chair, but managed the boys with a long rattan which 
reached across the small schoolroom. One of her punishments 
was to pin a bad boy to her dress. While undergoing this pun- 
ishment, Morse usually amused himself by drawing pictures of 
the old lady's face. Though a boy not five years of age, he 
drew wonderfully well. He afterwards attended Phillips Acad- 
emy in New Hampshire, and then entered Yale College, where 
he showed a decided taste for the study of electricity, and re- 
ceived much attention from President Dwight. 

On leaving college, Morse decided to devote his life to 



248 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

drawing and painting. He went abroad and met in London the 
great artist, West, who had befriended Fulton, the inventor of 
the first successful steamboat. He distinguished himself as a 
student and won several prizes from the Royal Academy. On 
returning to America, he traveled about the country painting 
portraits. At first he received fifteen dollars for each portrait 
that he painted, but as his reputation grew, he increased the 
price to sixty dollars. In a short while he was elected pro- 
fessor of the literature of the arts of design in the University 
of the State of New York, and he made a second trip to Europe 
for further study. As he was returning to America the pas- 
sengers on board the ship were discussing a recent discovery in 
France of the means of obtaining an electric spark from a mag- 
net. For some time Morse had been thinking about electricity, 
but it was on this trip that he first conceived the idea of in- 
venting a successful system of telegraphy. Several scientists 
had made experiments, but without success. 

As Morse sat upon the deck of the ship one night after din- 
ner, he drew from his pocket a small book and began to make 
marks to represent letters and figures to be produced by elec- 
tricity at a distance. In after years he developed these marks 
into the telegraph alphabet which is now in use. He showed 
his plan to one of the passengers, William C. Rives, of Virginia, 
who was then returning from Paris where he had been minister 
of the United States. Rives suggested various difficulties and 
the possibility that the electric current would not travel far 
enough to be applied to telegraphy. Morse said that, if it could 
be made to pass through a magnetic coil, he could make it pass 
miles, and he concluded by saying, "If it will go ten miles with- 
out stopping, I can make it go around the globe." For six 
years Morse worked on his scheme, and finally, in 1838, after 
various experiments, he had constructed an instrument for 
recording and receiving the dots and dashes which in various 



MORSE AND MCCORMICK. 



2 49 



combinations made the letters of the telegraph alphabet. By 
this means he could send a message. 

He at once went to Washington and asked Congress to give 
money for a telegraph line between Washington and Baltimore, 
but the politicians would not listen to the proposal, thinking that 
it was only the scheme of a " visionary." He even applied to the 
monarchs of Europe for assistance, but with the same ill-success. 
In 1843, on tne twenty-first of February, through the in- 
fluence of John P. Kennedy of Mary- 
land, a bill giving thirty thousand 
dollars for the building of a telegraph 
line between Washington and Bal- 
timore was proposed in the House of 
Representatives. The bill passed the 
House by the close vote of 89 to 83, 
and then went to the Senate for con- 
sideration. At twelve o'clock at 
night, on March the third, Congress 
would adjourn. Late that afternoon 
there were one hundred and nineteen 
bills on the Senate list ahead of 
Morse's bill. It seemed impossible 
for it to be reached that night before 
the hour of adjournment. Morse waited a longtime in a lobby 
adjoining the Senate Chamber, hoping that his bill might be 
brought up, but finally he left with a sad heart, on being told by 
one of the Senators that it would be impossible to get the bill 
through that night. The next morning as he came down to his 
breakfast at the hotel, sad and disappointed, he was greeted by 
a young lady with a smiling countenance who said, " I have come 
to congratulate you." ' Upon what?" asked Professor Morse. 
" Upon the passage of your bill," she replied. " My fate was 
sealed last evening. You must be mistaken." " Not at all," 




S. F. B. MORSE. 



2 50 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

answered the young lady; " father sent me to tell you that 
your bill was passed. He remained till the session closed and 
it passed just five minutes before the adjournment. I am so 
glad to be the first one to tell you." The young lady was 
Miss Ellsworth, the daughter of Mr. H. L. Ellsworth, the com- 
missioner of patents, who was a great advocate of Morse's bill. 
Morse was delighted with the news and promised the young lady 
that the first message that was sent over the line should be dic- 
tated by her. 

The line was soon completed between Washington and Bal- 
timore, and on the twenty-fourth day of May, 1844, Miss Ells- 
worth sent the first message over the wire. She selected the 
familiar words from the Bible, " What hath God wrought!" 

A few days after this the Democratic Convention was in ses- 
sion in Baltimore. It nominated James K. Polk of Tennessee 
for President and Senator Silas Wright for Vice-President. The 
news was telegraphed to Washington and Senator Wright re- 
plied declining the nomination. In a few minutes after he had 
been nominated, it was announced to the convention in Balti- 
more that Senator Wright would not accept the nomination. 
The members of the convention did not believe it. They did not 
know what a telegraph line was, so they adjourned until next 
day, and sent a committee by train to Washington to see Senator 
Wright. When the convention re-assembled the next morn- 
ing, great was the surprise of the members to know that the 
news of the previous day was correct. This was a great adver- 
tisement for Morse's telegraph. In that convention were men 
from all parts of the United States and they went back to their 
homes talking about the wonderful invention, the electro-mag- 
netic telegraph. 

Morse lived nearly thirty years longer; and during this time, 
thousands of miles of telegraph wires were put up in this country 
and in Europe. Great cables were laid on the bottoms of the 



MORSE AND MCCORMICK. 



2 5 I 



oceans, and to-day, in a few minutes, one may send a message 
to any part of the civilized world. In the United States we 
have a million miles of telegraph wire in use, and there are now 
in the world one hundred thousand miles of cable lines under the 
water. It is impossible to estimate the great value to man- 
kind of the invention of the telegraph. 



+J±~~Jt 




99H 



G MACHINE 



At the time that Morse was working on the telegraph, our 
system of farming was very different from what it is to-day. 
Farmers made little use of machinery in cultivating their lands. 
Wheat was cut with hand cradles, and grass with the scythe. 
There were no good plows, harrows or rakes. McCormick's inven- 
tion of the reaper gave new life to agriculture. Out of the reaper 
have come our splendid mowing machines, self-binders and corn 



252 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



harvesters, which save in labor for the farmers of our great coun- 
try more than one hundred million dollars annually. 

Cyrus Hall McCormick was born near Lexington, in Rock- 
bridge County, Virginia. He, like Fulton and Morse, was of 
Scotch-Irish descent. His father was Robert McCormick, who 
had invented a thresher, a hemp breaker, and had tried to make 
a reaper. But Robert McCormick's reaper had wooden cogs 
and would not work, so the honor of having invented the first 

reaper that was a real success is due 
to his son, Cyrus. 

Young McCormick had little ed- 
ucation. He went to an old field 
school in winter, and in summer and 
spring worked upon his father's farm. 
He first invented a plow and then an 
improved cradle for cutting wheat. 
On his father's farm was a black- 
smith's .shop and in this he worked 
earnestly whenever he had a chance. 
After months of labor he turned out, 
in 183 1 , the first reaper that worked 
well enough to cut a field of wheat. 
But he was not satisfied with it and 
he experimented for nine years longer before he made a ma- 
chine for sale. Then he began to manufacture reapers in 
Rockbridge County. 

The first shipment of reapers ever made to the West was in 
1844. These reapers were hauled in wagons from Rockbridge 
County to Scottsville in Albemarle County, from which point 
they were sent down the canal along the James River to Rich- 
mond, thence by water to New Orleans and thence by the 
Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to Cincinnati. McCormick saw 
that he could make a great deal of money by manufacturing 




,/ 



CYRUS H. MCCORMICK. 



MORSE AND MCCORMICK. 253 

and selling reapers, as they were in great demand in the West, 
but he knew that he would have to be nearer to the pur- 
chasers. He therefore moved to Cincinnati, and thence to 
Chicago, where he established his factory in 1846. From that 
day to this, the great McCormick factory has been making 
reapers for the world. McCormick improved his reaper from 
time to time and there is a great difference between the mod- 
ern reaper and the one which McCormick first invented. 

The first real world's fair was held in London in 1851. 
America had a very poor exhibit, but it was redeemed by the 
McCormick reaper. The London Times, a great English paper, 
made all manner of fun of the reaper, saying that it was a cross 
between a circus chariot, a wheel barrow and a flying machine; 
but when McCormick took his machine and tried it in the 
field, it worked so beautifully that the very paper which had 
ridiculed it, confessed that it was worth to the farmers of Eng- 
land the whole cost of the World's Fair. At the Pan's Exposi- 
tion of 1867, McCormick was one of the exhibitors. He directed 
the work of his reapers at a field trial; and the Emperor Napo- 
leon III., who walked after them, was so delighted that he made 
McCormick a member of the Legion of Honor. Many other 
honors were won by McCormick at other expositions. 

Morse was an educator, being a professor in the University 
of New York. He had received a splendid college education at 
Yale. McCormick was a self-made man, but he was a great 
believer in education and encouraged it liberally. He gave 
large sums of money to Washington and Lee University, at 
Lexington, Va., and to other colleges in our country. He 
was a Christian gentleman and spent more than half a million 
dollars towards the establishment of the Presbyterian Theo- 
logical Seminary of the Northwest. He knew that only 
through Christianity and education can the young men of our 
country attain to the highest positions of usefulness. 



^54 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



Geography Study. Map of the United States. Find Charles town 
(Mass.) and Lexington (Ya.). Locate Washington arid Baltimore. How- 
far is it from Washington to Baltimore? How would you go by water 
from Richmond (Va.) to Cincinnati (Ohio) ? Find Chicago. 

Review Questions. What are two of the great inventions of .the 
nineteenth century? Tell of the early life of Morse. What profession 
did he take up? How did he make a living? What professorship did he 
have? Tell of Morse's first ideas about telegraphy. How long did he 
work on his plan? Tell of the passage of a bill through Congress to put 
up a telegraph line. Who first informed him of its success? Tell of the 
first message. Tell the story about the Democratic Convention and Sen- 
ator Wright. How many miles of telegraph wires are there in the United 
States? How many miles of cable lines in the world? 'Fell of the state 
of farming years ago. What did Robert McCormick invent? Tell of 
Cyrus Hall McCormick and his reaper. How were the first reapers 
shipped to Ohio? Where is the McCormick factory? Tell of the 
London Times and its comments on the reaper. How did Napoleon III. 
honor McCormick? Why should America be proud of Morse and 
McCormick? What kind of man was McCormick? 





Davis Taking the Oath of Office. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

Jefferson Davis, 

1808-1889. 



Clay's Omnibus Bill of 1850 did not put an end to the 
strife over slavery, but only postponed for a short while " the in- 
evitable conflict." For some years there had been growing in 
the North a feeling in favor of setting the slaves free in all parts 
of the United States. This movement was headed by William 
Lloyd Garrison, who believed that slavery should be abolished 
by action of the Federal government in spite of the fact that 
Congress had always declared that it had no right to interfere 
with slavery in the states. Garrison and his followers organ- 
ized the Abolition Party, which grew in strength. The North- 
ern states not only refused to return the slaves who had run 
away from the South, but even passed laws known as the Per- 
sonal Liberty Acts, to prevent the capture of these slaves. 
These laws set aside the "fugitive" act that Congress had 
passed in 1850 providing that slaves should be returned. This 
refusal of the North to obey the laws of the United States 
angered the people of the South. 

In 1854 the territory west of Missouri and Iowa was organ- 
ized into two territories, one called Kansas, the other Ne- 



56 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



braska. These territories lay north of 36 30', and, according 
to the Missouri Compromise, could not have slavery ; but the bill 
by which they were organized left it to the settlers of these 
territories to decide whether they would or would not have 
slaves. This created great excitement. The Southern people 
were pleased, but the Northern opponents of slavery were en- 
raged. A new party was then formed for the purpose of keeping 
all the territories as " free soil," and in a little while the " Free 

Soilers," as the members of this 
party were called, became known 
as Republicans. This was the 
origin of the Republican Party. 

Two years later a case came 
before the Supreme Court of the 
United States about a negro slave 
named Dred Scott. The judges 
decided that slaves were property, 
just as horses and mules, and that 
a Southern man could go with 
his slaves into any territory of 
the United States, and that Con- 
gress had no right to keep slavery 
out of a territory. This decision 
was entirely in favor of the South. 
A majority of the Northern people were unwilling to abide 
by it and went into the Republican Party, which in i860 nom- 
inated Lincoln for the presidency. He was elected with the 
understanding that Congress would prohibit slavery in the 
territories of the United States. 

Then it was that the Southern states began to withdraw 
from the Union. South Carolina was the first to secede and 
she was quickly followed by Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mis- 
sissippi, Louisiana and Texas. These states organized a new 




ALEXANDER II. STEPHENS. 



JEFFERSON DAVIS. 257 

government called " The Confederate States of America." Jef- 
ferson Davis of Mississippi was elected President, and Alex- 
ander H. Stephens of Georgia was made Vice-President. In a 
short while the Confederates captured Fort Sumter, and Lincoln 
called for troops to put down what he called the " Rebellion " of 
the Southern states. So soon as Lincoln indicated that he was 
going to try to force back into the Union the seceding states, 
North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, and Tennessee seceded from 
the Union, joined the Confederacy, and gave their support to 
President Davis. 

Jefferson Davis was born in Kentucky, June 3, 1808. PL's 
father was a Georgia planter who had served as an officer in the 
Revolutionary War. After that war, he settled in Kentucky, 
where he lived until shortly after the birth of Jefferson Davis, 
when he removed to Mississippi and made his home near Wood- 
ville in Wilkinson County. Jefferson Davis was sent at an 
early age to Transylvania University in Kentucky. He was a 
good student and made rapid progress. At the age of sixteen 
he entered the West Point Military Academy, from which he 
graduated in 1828; he was then appointed a lieutenant in the 
United States Cavalry stationed at Fort Crawford in the present 
State of Wisconsin. While serving in the United States Army, 
he took part in the Black Hawk War, in which Lincoln was also 
engaged. At the close of this Indian war, Davis left the army, 
married Miss Sarah Knox Taylor, daughter of Colonel Zachary 
Taylor, and became a cotton planter in Warren County, Mis- 
sissippi. Mrs. Davis lived only three years. In 1845 Davis was 
married the second time to Miss Varina Howell, of Natchez, 
Mississippi. 

Like all prominent Southern planters, Davis soon entered 
politics. He was a states-right candidate for the legislature 
and was defeated. In 1844 he was an elector on the Demo- 
cratic ticket headed by James K. Polk of Tennessee. In this 



258 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



campaign lie spoke in all parts of Mississippi, and largely through 
his influence, Polk carried the state over Henry Clay, the Whig 
candidate. The following year, Davis was elected a member 
of the House of Representatives. Hardly had he entered Con- 
gress when the war with Mexico began. At once he resigned 
his seat in Congress, returned to Mississippi, and was chosen 




THE WHITE HOUSE OF THE CONFEDERACY. 



colonel of the regiment of Mississippians that went to the 
Mexican War. 

Davis was a good soldier and a brave man. At the battle of 
Monterey, he headed his regiment in a charge upon a strong 
stone building, La Taneria (the Tannery), which had been con- 
verted into a fort. The Mexicans were forced to surrender, and 
the officer in command delivered his sword to Colonel Davis. 



JEFFERSON DAVIS. 259 

At the battle of Buena Vista, he was equally brave. In the very 
face of the Mexican army, he descended into a ravine to find a 
suitable place for the passage of his men. While in this ravine, 
he was fired upon by a whole Mexican squadron, but he escaped 
unhurt. With his regiment of Mississippians and a handful of 
Indiana volunteers, he made a bold attack, at double-quick time, 
on the enemy, who fled in confusion. Davis seized the strong 
position which they had occupied. Immediately he was at- 
tacked by a Mexican brigade, but he drew his troops up in a 
V shape and stood the charge with firmness. At the same time 
his men fired with deadly aim, and the enemy was forced to 
retreat. Davis was severely wounded in his foot, but he re- 
mained in his saddle until the close of the battle. General Tay- 
lor, in his official report of the battle, said of Davis: ** His dis- 
tinguished coolness and gallantry at the head of his regiment on 
this day entitle him to the particular notice of the government." 

At the close of the Mexican War Davis retired to his home 
in Mississippi, but it was not long before he was elected to the 
United States Senate. It was during this time that the Om- 
nibus Bill was introduced, and Davis, along with Calhoun, 
opposed it, because he believed that all the territories of the 
United States should be open to slavery. Soon after this he 
resigned from the Senate to become the candidate for governor 
in Mississippi. He was defeated by only one thousand ma- 
jority. 

Three years later he became secretary of war under Presi- 
dent Franklin Pierce. In this position he did great service to 
the United States. He introduced better guns into the army, 
improved the system of infantry tactics, and prepared better de- 
fenses of the sea-coast. He went from the cabinet of Pierce to 
the United States Senate on the fourth of March, 1857, where 
he remained until the twenty-fourth day of January, 1861, when, 
on being informed that the State of Mississippi had withdrawn 



260 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



from the Union, he retired from the Senate. These four years 
when Davis was in the Senate were the trying period of the 
Union, and secession was being constantly discussed. When 
the Constitution was first formed, the states were thought to 
be the sovereigns, i. c, the United States government was 
the agent of the states, and therefore, if a state decided to 
leave the Union, it had the right to do so. As the years went 

by, many, especially the 
people of the North, be- 
gan to think that the 
Union could not be broken 
up. Even granting that a 
state might have a legal 
right to withdraw from the 
Union, they claimed that 
it did not have a moral 
right to break up a great 
country. Davis contended 
that a state was sovereign 
and that it had both a 
legal and a moral right to 
withdraw from the Union. 
The vast majority of 
Southern people believed 
as he did. He introduced 
into the Senate' in i860 
seven resolutions which 
set forth the rights of the states. After a heated debate they 
passed the Senate. The resolutions declared that all the states 
were sovereign and equal, and that, as negro slaves were property, 
Congress had no right to interfere with this kind of property in 
the territories any more than with horses or cows. Believing in 
the sovereignty of the states, the Southern states seceded when 




JEFFERSON DAVIS. 26 1 

Lincoln was elected with the distinct pledge to prohibit slavery 
in the territories. 

When Davis withdrew from the Senate, he defended the 
cause of the South and said, " I have for many years advocated 
as an essential attribute of state sovereignty the right of a 
state to secede from the Union. Secession is to be justified 
upon the basis that the states arc sovereign .... and may 
reclaim the grants .... made to any agent whomsoever. 
I carry with me no hostile remembrance." He 
thought that the South should be allowed to withdraw without 
war. 

As soon as he retired from the Senate and reached Mississippi, 
he was informed that he had been elected President of the Con- 
federate States. He at once set out to Montgomery, Alabama, 
to enter upon this responsible office (1861). On his journey he 
received a welcome from the people who came in great crowds 
to the* railroad stations to hear him speak. 

As President of the Confederate States of America, Davis 
was a conscientious, honest man. He did his duty as he saw it, 
without fear of man. He encouraged the soldiers and officers 
in the most trying moments, and to the very last was hopeful for 
the success of the Confederate cause. 

When Lee evacuated Richmond in 1865, Davis tried to make 
his escape to the South, hoping to cross the Mississippi and prob- 
ably to make his way to Mexico. After several days' travel 
hearing that robbers were pursuing his family, he turned back to 
protect them. In the neighborhood of Irvinville, Ga., he was 
surprised and captured. 

In writing of this, Davis said, " Late in the night my colored 
coachman aroused me with the intelligence that the camp was 
attacked, and I stepped out of the tent where my wife and chil- 
dren were sleeping and saw at once that the assailants were troop- 
ers deploying around the encampment. I so informed my wife, 



262 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



who urged me to escape. After some hesitation, I consented, 
and a servant woman started with me carrying a bucket as if 
going to the spring for water. One of the surrounding troopers 
ordered me to halt and demanded my surrender. I advanced 
toward the trooper, throwing off a shawl which my wife had put 
around my shoulders. The trooper aimed his carbine, when my 




AVIS PLOT AT HOI.I.YWiiiili 



wife, who witnessed the act, rushed forward and threw her arms 
around me, thus defeating my intention, which was, if the trooper 
missed his aim, to try and unhorse him and escape with his horse." 
He then said to his wife, " God's will be done," and surrendered 
himself to the Union soldiers. 

He was taken as a prisoner to Fortress Monroe, where he was 
imprisoned for two years, a part of which time he was kept in 



JEFFERSON DAVIS. 263 

irons and confined in an uncomfortable cell. The South has 
never forgotten the harsh treatment which Davis received while 
he was in prison. Later he was released on bail and was never 
brought to trial. After a trip to Europe, he returned to Missis- 
sippi and spent the remainder of his life at his home, ' ' Beauvoir. 
He never again had all the rights of a citizen of the United 
States, because he was never pardoned by the government, Con- 
gress having refused to remove his disabilities. He was really an 
exile in his own country. 

He died in New Orleans the sixth of December, 1889. The 
whole South went into mourning for him. In every Southern 
city bells were tolled in respect to his memory and flags were 
dropped at half-mast. His remains were interred in Metaire 
Cemetery, New Orleans, but were afterwards removed to Rich- 
mond, the capital of the Confederacy, and re-interred in Holly- 
wood Cemetery. 

" Jefferson Davis was, in many respects, one of the greatest 
men this republic has ever produced. He was able, bold, true, 
manly, and conscientious. . . . The Southern people loved 
him because he suffered for them. They are prepared to pro- 
tect and guard his memory from the fierce future winds of prej- 
udice." 

" Mr. Davis's life illustrated virtue, patriotism and courage 
in a degree rarely seen among men. He was greater in defeat 
and misfortune than in victory." 

Geography Study. Map of the Southern States. Bound Virginia, 
North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, 
Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas. Locate Woodville (Miss.), 
Montgomery (Ala.), Richmond (Va.), and New Orleans (La.). How far 
is it from Richmond to New Orleans? 

Review Questions. Tell of Garrison and the Abolition Party. 
What created trouble when Kansas and Nebraska were organized as 



264 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



territories? Tell of the Republican Party. Tell of secession and the 
Confederate States. Who was Davis's father? Tell of his early life 
and education. Tell of his soldier life. How did he distinguish himself 
in the war against Mexico? Tell what position of honor he held under the 
United States. What resolutions did he offer in the United States Senate? 
Did Davis believe in secession? What did he say when he withdrew 
from the Senate? Tell of his election as President of the Confederacy 
and his journey to Montgomery (Ala.). What kind of President was 
he? Tell of his capture and treatment by the United States. Tell of his 
death. What can be said of Davis as a man? 





CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Abraham Lincoln 



1809-1865. 



Many of our great men were born and reared in the back- 
woods of the country. The free and independent life led by the 
pioneer settlers in a new community seems to favor the forma- 
tion of strength and nobility of character. Among the " forest- 
born " statesmen that have taken an important part in the af- 
fairs of our nation, Abraham Lincoln holds a foremost place. 
He was born February 12, 1809, in a cabin situated in a bleak, 
dreary region on Nolin Creek in Kentucky. His father, Thomas 
Lincoln, was a shiftless man with a roving disposition, and was 
always in needy circumstances. Abraham's mother, whose maiden 
name was Nancy Hanks, was of a melancholy disposition, and 
during the last years of her life she " habitually wore the woeful 
expression which afterwards distinguished the countenance of 
her son in repose." 

About seven years after the birth of Abraham, Thomas Lin- 
coln moved to Indiana. He settled in the midst of a great for- 
est on a fertile piece of land, in a section of country where only 
a few families lived. Here he built a rough log cabin, which 
had a dirt floor and no doors and windows. His family had to 
sit on three-legged stools instead of chairs. For a table they 
had a log made flat and smooth and supported by legs, on 
which their plain food was served in pewter and tin dishes. In 



266 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



one corner of the room were some poles stuck between the logs 
of the wall and supported by forked posts driven into the 
ground, — this was the bedstead ; and some skins, leaves and 
old clothes were the bedding. The loft was Abraham's sleeping 
apartment, and the only way he could get to it was by climbing 
up " on pegs driven into holes in the wall." 

The Lincolns had not lived long in their new home before 
Abraham's mother died. Thomas Lincoln afterwards married, 
as his second wife, Sarah Johnston, a widow, who was a kind- 
hearted, industrious 



^V«i,-£ 




THE HUT WHERE LINCOLN WAS BORN. 



woman and a good house- 
keeper. She took great 
interest in Thomas Lin- 
coln's children, and soon 
the cabin assumed an air 
of comfort. It was pro- 
vided with doors and win- 
dows, and a plank floor 
took the place of the 
earthen one. All of the 
children were very fond 
of Mrs. Lincoln, and espe- 
cially young Abraham. He was always willing to do her bid- 
ding, and never gave her a cross word. 

When a young boy, Lincoln did much of the work at home, 
and at times he was hired as a laborer to some of the neigh- 
bors, or earned a little money with his flat boat on the river. 
Therefore, he had little time to devote to study; but his step- 
mother had him attend several schools for a few months each 
year. One of the houses in which he was taught reading, writ- 
ing and arithmetic was a low cabin built of unhewn logs, with no 
windows except holes in the walls covered over with greased 
paper. But the future President, being used to few comforts at 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 26/ 

home, probably thought little of the poor accommodations of the 
schoolroom, and usually came to school with a smile on his face. 
He wore a cap made of the skin of an opossum, or a raccoon, and 
buckskin breeches, which lacked about twelve inches of reaching 
his shoe tops. Lincoln's last school was four and a half miles 
from his home and his attendance there was very irregular. In 
all, Lincoln never spent as much as twelve months in school. 

However, he did not lay aside his books when he left school. 
Whenever he could find time to do so, he would lie down in the 
shade of a tree or in the loft of his father's cabin and read and 
study. In this way, he read all the books that came within his 
reach. One night the rain beat in at a crack in the cabin and 
ruined a book that he had borrowed. The owner of the book 
made him pay for it with three days' hard work. 

When Lincoln was about twenty-one years old, his father 
and two of his neighbors moved to Illinois and settled about ten 
miles from Decatur. " The goods of the three families were 
loaded on a wagon," which was " drawn by four yoke of oxen." 
Lincoln drove the team and arrived at his new home after a jour- 
ney of fifteen days over rough roads and across swollen streams. 
A farm was cleared and he and his kinsman, John Hanks, hauled 
the rails with which to fence it. 

Shortly after this, Lincoln secured a position as clerk in a 
store in the village of New Salem in Illinois. His employer 
thought very highly of him, and he was much beloved by the 
whole community. His great popularity was due in a large 
measure to his reputation as a wrestler and to his extraordinary 
gift in the art of telling humorous stories. Lincoln could now 
read and write well, but did not know how to write and speak 
his own language correctly. He therefore decided to begin the 
study of English grammar as soon as he could get a book. There 
was not a grammar in New Salem, but the schoolmaster said he 
knew where one could be obtained six miles from the town. Hav- 



268 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



ing secured a book, Lincoln devoted himself industriously to his 
new study. When he was not at work in the store, he would 
lie down on the counter and pore over his book. At night he 

studied in a cooper's 
shop, because he could 
keep a bright light there 
by burning the shavings. 
In 1832 Lincoln was 
captain of a volunteer 
company in the Black 
Hawk War. After re- 
turning from the war, 
he engaged in the mer- 
cantile business for one 
winter. He was after- 
wards postmaster of New 
Salem, and he also spent 
some time in surveying. 
In 1834 he was elected 
to the Illinois legislature, 
to which body he was 
elected four times in suc- 
cession. In the mean- 
time he had been ad- 
mitted to the bar after 
having studied law for 
several years. He now 
moved to Springfield and 
built up a large practice. 
Lincoln was a member of the United States House of Repre- 
sentatives for one term and was also twice' a candidate for the 
Senate; the last time he was defeated by Stephen A. Douglas. 
When a boy, Lincoln used to say that some day he expected 




YOUNG LINCOLN AT WORK ON THE RIVER. 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 269 

to be President of the United States, and on the fourth of March, 
1 861, that dream of his life was realized. As you know, the 
slavery question had been the main issue between the two po- 
litical parties for some years. A party had been formed to pro- 
hibit slavery in the territories, and in a few years all who were 
opposed to the extension of slavery joined its ranks. The Repub- 
lican party was the name which this new political organization 
finally assumed, though it was at first known as the Free-Soil 
party. In 1856 it nominated for the presidency John C. Fremont, 
who, though defeated, was voted for by eleven Northern states. 
In May, i860, the Republican party met in national convention 
in Chicago and named Lincoln as its candidate for President, and 
he was elected. Soon after the election, the Southern states, 
led by South Carolina, began to leave the Union. Lincoln 
determined to force them back, but a long and bloody war was 
fought before he succeeded in his attempt. 

After the war had been going on about a year and a half, 
General Lee, who had lately won some great victories over the 
Northern forces, led his army across the Potomac with the in- 
tention of invading the North. On the seventeenth of Septem- 
ber, 1862, the battle of Sharpsburg or Antietam (Md.) was 
fought between him and McClellan. Neither side was victor- 
ious, but Lee led his army back into Virginia. As the North 
was relieved from the fear of invasion, Lincoln thought that he 
could safely issue his Emancipation Proclamation. Accordingly, 
on the twenty-second of September, 1862, Lincoln issued a proc- 
lamation declaring that 011 January 1, 1863, all the slaves in the 
seceded states should be free, and that the armies of the United 
States should enforce the order wherever it was in their power to 
do so. In those sections of the South which were occupied by 
the Northern armies, some of the slaves ran away from their own- 
ers, but the great majority of the negroes remained faithful to 
their masters until the close of the war. 



270 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

President Lincoln did not, of course, have any authority 
under the Constitution of the United States to interfere with 
slavery in the states, but he thought that, if he could get the 
negroes to desert their masters, the Southern soldiers, having- 
no one at home to work for them, would soon have to leave the 
army and go back to cultivate their lands. In this way he be- 
lieved that his proclamation would aid in bringing the war to a 
speedy close. Besides, he thought that the President, as com- 
mander-in-chief of the army, could exercise powers in time of 
war, that he did not have at other times. But Lincoln's proc- 
lamation did not abolish slavery in the United States; so he 
urged Congress to take the proper steps to have the Constitu- 
tion changed so as to prohibit slavery throughout the entire 
country. On January I, 1865, Congress proposed an amend- 
ment to the Constitution which prohibited slavery forever in 
all the states and territories. On the eighteenth of December 
of the same year, it was declared that the necessary number of 
states had agreed to the amendment, and thus slavery was abol- 
ished in the United States. This was the Thirteenth Amend- 
ment. After this, two other amendments, the Fourteenth and 
Fifteenth, were adopted. The former gave to the negroes equal 
rights under the laws with the whites, and the latter conferred 
upon them the right to vote. 

The war being over, Lincoln was anxious to see the Southern 
states restored to their place in the Union as soon as possible. 
This re-forming of the Union by the re-admission of the South- 
ern states was called reconstruction. But unfortunately for the 
South, this work had to be done by other and less skilful hands. 
On the fourteenth of April, 1865, President Lincoln, accom- 
panied by his wife and Major Rathbone, was seated in a box in 
Ford's Theater in Washington witnessing a play. Wilkes Booth, 
an actor, came in by stealth and shot Lincoln and stabbed Major 
Rathbone. The President died next morning at seven o'clock. 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



2/1 



His remains were carried to Illinois and, on May 4th, were buried 
at Oak Ridge near Springfield, Illinois. 

Lincoln was not a happy man, and twice in his life he almost 
lost his mind. His face wore a sad expression almost constantly, 
although he had few equals in the art of amusing a crowd by tell- 
ing anecdotes. He was tall, muscular and homely; his com- 
plexion was swarthy and his skin shrivelled, even when a boy. 




THE NATIONAL CAPITOL AT WASHINGTON. 

He was kind and good-natured and enjoyed great popularity 
among the people who knew him well. 

Lincoln's plan of re-admitting the Southern states into the 
Union was a simple one. If in any state which had seceded, 
one-tenth of those who were voters in i860 would take an oath 
to support the Constitution of the United States, and would 
organize a proper state government, this government was then to 
be recognized by the President of the United States. Lincoln's 



272 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

death occurred so soon after the close of the war that he had 
accomplished little towards the restoration of the Union. He 
was succeeded by Vice-President Johnson. Johnson's views on 
reconstruction were practically the same as those of Lincoln; 
but he did not have the influence over Congress that his great 
predecessor possessed, and that body refused to approve his 
measures. Ill-feeling arose between the President and Congress, 
and Johnson was finally impeached by Congress. He was tried 
before the Senate and would have been deprived of his office if 
one more vote had been cast against him. Congress declared 
that the conditions under which the Southern states could come 
back into the Union must be determined by its action and not 
by the President. 

By acts of Congress, 1867, all the South (except Tennessee, 
which had agreed to the Fourteenth Amendment and had been 
re-admitted) was divided into five military districts. A general 
was placed over each district with power to direct the govern- 
ment. Every office-holder had to take an oath that he had 
not willingly aided " the secession movement." This was called 
the " iron-clad oath." The best people of the South could not 
take this oath, and that left the offices to be filled mainly by 
the negroes and by white men who had lately come from the North 
for the sake of plunder. The latter were called " carpet-bag- 
gers " ; the Southern white people who took the* 'iron-clad oath " 
and helped the Northerners and negroes to trample upon the 
rights of their brethren were called " scalawags." For a while 
the governments of most of the Southern states were almost 
entirely in the hands of the negroes, carpet-baggers and scala- 
wags. They imposed high taxes upon the people and made large 
state debts. These plunderers took for their own use the greater 
part of the money that was raised in this way. 

This period of misrule lasted longer in some states than in 
others, but after General Grant became President in 1869, better 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



2/3 



conditions came to prevail, and by January 30, 1 871 , all the 
Southern states had been re-admitted to representation in Con- 
gress. In a little while the carpet-baggers and negroes lost their 
control of the South, and the native Southerners have since 
governed themselves. 

Had Lincoln lived, the South would probably have escaped 
many of the trials and evils of reconstruction days. 

Geography Study. Map of the Middle West States. Locate 
Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. What river separates Kentucky 
from Indiana and Illinois ? Find New Salem and Springfield (111.)- 

Review Questions. Tell of Lincoln's early life in Kentucky, In- 
diana and Illinois. Describe his home. How did he study ? Tell how 
he made a living in Illinois. What positions of honor did he hold ? Tell 
about the Republican party. What was the Emancipation Proclamation ? 
What was the thirteenth Amendment ? What the fourteenth ? What 
the fifteenth ? Tell of Lincoln's death. What was his plan of reconstruc- 
tion ? Tell of President Johnson and Congress. What was the reconstruc- 
tion plan of Congress ? Tell of the reconstruction days in the South. 





Arlington, the Home of Lee. 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

Robert E. Lee 

1807-1870. 



THE war between the states was a terrible calamity to our 
country. When the Southern states seceded from the Union, 
they had hoped that the states in the North would allow them 
to depart in peace, but Lincoln and his party would not listen 
to any proposition which meant the dissolution of the Union. 
Several efforts were made to secure peace, but without avail. 

The Confederate authorities demanded of the United States 
government the surrender of Fort Sumter, which protected the 
harbor of Charleston. Lincoln refused to grant this demand; 
and when it was learned that he was sending troops to reinforce 
those in the fort, the Confederates under General Beauregard 
attacked Sumter and captured it. 

At once Lincoln called for troops to compel the seceding 
states to return to the Union. Thus began the war which lasted 
for four years — a war which produced some of the greatest gen- 
erals that the world has ever known. Among the best known 
generals on the Southern side were Joseph E. Johnston, who, 
during the early part of the war, was commander-in-chief of 
the Aimy of Northern Virginia; Albert Sidney Johnston, who 
fell at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, in Tennessee, bravely 



ROBERT E. LEE. 



275 



fighting against the Federals; Thomas J. (''Stonewall") Jack- 
son, the great cavalry leader who was killed at the battle of 
Chancellorsville, Va. ; the well known cavalry leaders, J. E. B. 
Stuart, N. B. Forrest and Fitzhugh Lee; E. Kirby Smith, who 
commanded the Confederates beyond the Mississippi; and James 




THE ATTACK ON FORT SUMTER. 



Longstreet, A. P. Hill and Leonidas Polk. But, all things con- 
sidered, Robert E. Lee was the greatest general. 

The chief generals on the Union side were William T. Sher- 
man, who took Atlanta, Ga., and marched to Savannah; George 
B. McClellan, who was defeated in a series of battles in the 
Virginia peninsula between the James and York Rivers; A. E. 
Burnside, who was defeated at Fredericksburg, Va. ; Joseph 
(" Fighting Joe") Hooker, who lost the battle of Chancellors- 
ville, Va. ; George C. Meade, who commanded the Union troops 
at the battle of Gettysburg, Pa. ; George H. Thomas, who de- 



276 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



feated the Confederates at Chickamauga in Tennessee; and 
Admiral Farragut, who captured New Orleans, La., and opened 
the lower Mississippi to the Federal fleet. But the most suc- 
cessful of the Northern generals was U. S. Grant. Lee and Grant, 
therefore, are the two great names of the War of Secession. 

Robert Edward Lee was born at Stratford, in Westmore- 
land County, Virginia, on the nineteenth of January, 1807. His 
father was General Henry ("Light Horse Harry") Lee of 

Revolutionary 
fame. His father 
died when Robert 
was a boy, and 
therefore his train- 
ing was left to his 
mother. She was a 
good woman and 
raised her son to be 
a devout Christian 
man. When Rob- 
ert was not at 
school, he spent his 
leisure time with her. He obeyed her every wish, and from her 
he received the true principles of truth, morality and religion. 

At eighteen he received an appointment as a cadet to the 
United States Military Academy at West Point, and after four 
years he graduated second in a class of forty-six and became a 
second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers. While at West 
Point, his conduct was perfect, his habits were excellent, and 
he did not receive a demerit in the whole four years. " He was 
a model cadet. His clothes looked nice and new. His cross 
belts, collars and summer trousers were as white as the driven 
snow mounting guard upon the mountain top, and his breast and 
waist plates were mirrors to reflect the image of the inspector." 




THE BIRTHPLACE OF GENERAL LEE. 



ROBERT E. LEE. 



277 



In 1 83 1 he married Mary Custis, the daughter of George 
Washington Parke Custis of Arlington. On the death of Mr. 
Custis, Mrs. Lee inherited that magnificent estate, Arlington, 
which, during the war, was taken from the Lees by the Federal 
government. 

During the Mexican War, Lee did excellent service as an 
engineer, for which he received high praise and promotion. 
Soon after the close of the Mexican War, he was made superin- 
tendent of the United States Mili- 
tary Academy at West Point, which 
position he held for three years, 
when he was made a lieutenant 
colonel in the cavalry service. 

In 1859 a fanatic named John 
Brown entered Virginia and sta- 
tioned himself at Harper's Ferry. 
He began to urge the negroes to 
insurrection and encouraged them 
to commit several atrocious crimes. 
By this means Brown hoped to free 
the negroes. Lee was in Washing- 
ton at the time and was ordered by 
the United States government to 
go to Harper's Ferry and capture 
Brown. He at once obeyed and 

besieged Brown in an engine house where he and a portion of 
his men had taken refuge. The doors were battered down; 
Brown was captured and turned over to the Virginia authorities, 
by whom he was tried, convicted and hanged. 

Shortly after this the Southern states seceded. Lee was 
opposed to secession, and therefore it was a great blow to him 
when his native state Virginia decided to leave the Union, but 
he never hesitated about obeying her call. For thirty-two 




GENERAL JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON. 



278 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



years Lee had served in the army of the United States, and 
it was a struggle for him to leave its service; but he never failed 
to do what he thought was his duty, and, though President Lin- 
coln offered to put him in command of the active army of the 

United States, he declined the 
high compliment and sent in his 
resignation to the war department 
of the United States. At the same 
time he wrote a letter to General 
Win field Scott, then commander- 
in-chief of the army, in which he 
said, " Save in the defence of my 
native state, I never desire again 
to draw my sword. " But Virginia 
at once called upon her great son, 
and he was made commander-in- 
chief of the Virginia forces. 

In obedience to the call of his 
state, he went to Richmond to 
take command of the Virginia 
forces. The State Convention, 
which passed the Ordinance of 
Secession, was in session. A com- 
mittee was sent to invite Lee to 
appear before the Convention. 
He was ushered into the hall and 
welcomed by the presiding officer, 
Mr. Janney, who said, " Sir, we have expressed our convictions 
that you are at this time among the living citizens of Virginia, 
'first in war.' We pray to God most fervently that you may so 
conduct the operations committed to your charge, that it will 
soon be said of you that you are the 'first in peace,' and when 
that time comes, you will have earned the still prouder distinction 




ROBERT E. LEE. 279 

of being 'first in the hearts of jour countrymen.' ' It had been 
said of Washington that he was "first in war, first in peace, and 
first in the hearts of his countrymen," and truly did Mr. Janney 
predict that Virginia would some day honor and revere the 
memory of Lee as she does that of Washington. 

In a little while war began in real earnest. In the middle of 
the summer of 1861 the Confederates defeated the Federals at 
Bull Run, or Manassas, Va., and the invasion of Virginia was 
checked. In 1862 General George B. McCIellan with a strong 
Union army undertook to advance from Yorktown against Rich- 
mond, but found himself opposed by General Joseph E. John- 
ston. General Johnston was wounded and Lee was put in com- 
mand of the army. After seven days' of fighting McCIellan was 
driven back. Operations against Richmond were given up for 
the time being, and the South became jubilant and the North 
despondent. Lee marched north and defeated the Federals 
under General Pope at the second battle of Manassas, pushed 
into Maryland, and fought the battle of Antietam, or Sharpsburg, 
and then retired into Virginia. In December of the same year 
(1862), he terribly defeated Burnside at Fredericksburg, Va. 

In May, 1863, Lee inflicted even a worse defeat upon Gen- 
eral Hooker at Chancellorsville, a short distance from Fred- 
ericksburg. The battle of Chancellorsville was a costly one to 
the Confederates. General "Stonewall" Jackson was killed 
and Lee lost " his right arm," as Jackson was called. Lee 
then pushed into the North; crossed Maryland and entered 
Pennsylvania ; but at Gettysburg he was stopped by the Fed- 
erals under General Meade. Here was fought a three days' 
battle. On the last day, the Confederates under General Pickett 
made a heroic charge against the Federal center, but were com- 
pelled to withdraw. As they came back, Lee rode out to 
meet them. He encouraged the men and said to them: " All 
this has been my fault and it is I who have iost this fight. You 



28o 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



must help me out as best you can." He was brave in victory, 
but braver in defeat. He never tried to place the responsibil- 
ity of the defeat upon another, but took it all upon himself. 

In the spring of 1864, General Grant was put in charge of the 
Federal troops with instructions to attack Lee and to advance 
upon Richmond. Grant had won a great reputation for him- 




GENERAL PICKETT S CHARG] 



self. He had fought in 1862 against General Albert Sidney 
Johnston at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, Tenn. ; had cap- 
tured Fort Donelson and Fort Henry in Tennessee; had pushed 
down the Mississippi River in 1863, and on the same day 
that Lee lost at Gettysburg, Grant had captured Vicksburg, 
Miss. In the meantime Admiral Farragut had entered the 
mouth of the Mississippi and taken New Orleans. The cap- 
ture of Vicksburg by Grant, added to the success of Farragut, cut 



ROBERT E. LEE. 28 1 

the Confederacy in two and opened the Mississippi River to the 
Federals. After other successes in Tennessee, Lincoln decided 
that if any man was capable of defeating Lee, it was Grant. 
So he called him from the West and put him in charge of the 
active armies of the United States. 

Grant was born in 1822 in the State of Ohio. He, like Lee, 
was a graduate of the Military Academy at West Point, and had 
also served in the Mexican War. In 1853 he was made a cap- 
tain in the United States Army, but soon resigned and became 
a farmer. Afterwards he was a clerk in his father's store in 
Illinois. When the war between the states broke out, he raised 
a company of volunteers and was made a colonel in an Illinois 
regiment. For service along the Mississippi River, he was 
rapidly promoted from colonel to brigadier general, and c after 
the capture of Vicksburg, he was made a major general. Later, 
Grant was made a lieutenant general, in charge of all the 
Union forces. He took immediate command of the Army of 
the Potomac, and began to advance against Lee. 

From March, 1864, until April 9, 1865, a terrible campaign 
was carried on between Lee and Grant. It began with the 
battle of the Wilderness in Spotsylvania County, Va., and 
ended with the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Courthouse, 
Va. Lee did all that could be done to prevent defeat, but 
Grant's army greatly outnumbered his. Sometimes Grant had 
more than five times as many soldiers as Lee. 

During the campaign, Lee showed that he was not afraid 
to expose himself to the fire of the enemy. While fighting 
around Spotsylvania Courthouse, Lee came up to some Texas 
soldiers, placed himself at their head and, crying " Hurrah 
for Texas," ordered the charge. The soldiers at once thought 
of their dear commander, and cried: " Lee to the rear." An 
old soldier seized the bridle of his horse and said, " General 
Lee, if you don't go back, we will not go forward." A little 



282 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



£ t NNSYLVANIA M*"***"* 



later General Lee placed himself again in front of his troops to 
lead the charge; but the brave General Gordon of Georgia said 
to him: " These are Virginians and Georgians who have never 
failed. Go to the rear, General Lee." Then Gordon turned 
to the men and said, "Must General Lee lead this charge?" 

All the troops cried out : 
" No, no, we will drive them 
back if General Lee will go 
to the rear." 

Gradually Lee was pushed 
back from Spotsylvania 
Courthouse and shut up in 
Richmond and Petersburg. 
Throughout the hard winter 
of 1864-65, his troops suffered 
terribly, and often the sol- 
diers had nothing to eat but 
parched corn. Confederate 
money was worthless. Flour 
was w 01 th from two hun- 
dred to three hundred dol- 
lars a barrel; corn, forty 
dollars a bushel; sugar, ten 
dollars per pound ; and calico, 
thirty dollars per yard. 

At last, in April, 1865, his 
lines were so thinned out by sickness and desertion, that Lee was 
forced to abandon Petersburg and then Richmond. He led his 
army south, hoping to reach North Carolina, but Grant blocked 
his way Finally, at Appomattox Courthouse, on the ninth 
of April, 1865, Lee decided that the time had come for him to 
stop further bloodshed. He sent a note to Grant request- 
ing an interview with reference to the surrender of the army. 




A BATTLE MAP OF THE VIRGINIA CAMPAIGNS. 



ROBERT E. LEE. 



283 



They met at the house of Mr. Wilmer McLean at Appomattox 
Courthouse. 

General Fitzhugh Lee, in his " Life of Robert E. Lee," thus 
described the scene at the surrender: " General Lee was ush- 
ered into the room on the left of the hall as you enter, and about 
one o'clock was joined by General 
Grant, his staff, and Generals Sheri- 
dan and Ord. Grant sat at a 
marble-topped table in the center 
of the room, Lee at a small oval 
table near the front window. ' The 
contrast between the commanders,' 
said one who was present, ' was 
striking.' Grant, not yet forty- 
three years old, five feet eight inches 
tall, shoulders slightly stooped, hair 
and beard now brown, wearing a 
dark-blue flannel blouse unbottoned, 
showing vest beneath ; ordinary 
topboots, trousers inside; dark-yel- 
low thread gloves; without spurs or 
sword, and no marks of rank except 
a general's shoulder straps. Lee, 
fifty-eight years old, six feet tall, 
hair and beard silver gray; a hand- 
some uniform of Confederate gray 

buttoned to the throat, with three stars on each side of the 
turned-down collar, fine top boots with handsome spurs, elegant 
gauntlets, and at his side a splendid sword. With a magnificent 
physique, not a pound of supeifluous flesh, ruddy cheeks, bronzed 
by exposure, grave and dignified, he was the focus for all eyes. 
Generals Lee and Grant had met once, eighteen years before, 
when both were fighting for the same cause in Mexico — one an 




GENERAL LEE. 



284 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

engineer officer on the staff of Scott, the commanding general ; 
the other a subaltern of infantry in Garland's brigade. After a 
pleasant reference to that event, Lee promptly drew attention to 
the business before them." 

The terms of the surrender were arranged. The soldiers 
were to go home with the understanding that they were not 
again to take up arms against the United States. Grant acted 
the part of a gentleman towards Lee. He furnished Lee's half- 
starved troops with provisions, and afterwards recommended to 
the United States government that Lee be pardoned and re- 
stored to citizenship. Grant did not take Lee's sword. In 
speaking of Grant's behavior, Lee afterwards said: " No man 
could have behaved better than General Grant did under the 
circumstances." 

It was a sad and touching scene when Lee rode back to his 
troops after he had surrendered. They pressed around him, 
eager to touch his person or his horse, and they shed tears of 
sorrow and anguish. He turned to his men and said: " Men, 
we have fought through the war together; I have done my best 
for you; my heart is too full to say more." The next day he 
issued a farewell address to the Army of Northern Virginia,. and 
closed it with these words: " By the terms of agreement, officers 
and men can return to their homes and remain there until ex- 
changed. You will take with you the satisfaction that pro- 
ceeds from the consciousness of duty well performed, and I 
earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you his bless- 
ing and protection. With an unceasing admiration of your con- 
stancy and devotion to your country, and the grateful remem- 
brance of your kind and generous consideration of myself, I bid 
you an affectionate farewell." 

Lee now retired to private life, but was soon afterward made 
president of Washington College at Lexington, Va. , now Wash- 
ington and Lee University. For five years he served the insti- 



ROBERT E. LEE. 



285 









tution faithfully; and, though he was offered many positions 
which would have paid him large sums of money, he refused 
them all. 

He died October the twelfth, 1870. During his last illness 
his thoughts turned to the battle field, and in death's delirium 
he was heard to say, " Tell Hill he must come up." He was 
buried in the chapel of 





Washington and Lee Uni- 
versity. 

Lee was conscientious 1 
and faithful, and "duty" 
was his great watchword. | 
" He was a foe without | 
hate and a friend without I 
treachery, a soldier with- 
out cruelty and a victim 
without murmuring. He 1 
was a public officer with- 
out vice, a private citizen 
without wrong, a neighbor 
without reproach, a Chris- 
tian without hypocrisy and 
a man without guilt. " His 
virtues will live forever, 
and his character will be 
imitated by generations 
yet unborn. 

His great opponent, General Grant, outlived him fifteen 
years. One year before Lee died, Grant became President of 
the United States and served for two terms. As President he 
showed something of the same spirit towards the South that he 
did towards Lee, and during his administration a better feeling 
came to exist between the South and the North. 




GENERAL GRANT. 



286 MAKERS OF AMERICAxN HISTORY. 

All the Southern states were finally re-admitted into the 
Union and they are as loyal to the United States govern- 
ment as are the Northern states. The Southern people love 
our great country, and are willing to lay down their lives for it, 
though they still believe that in seceding from the Union they 
were not " rebels," but were only exercising a right which the 
founders of our government undoubtedly intended for the states 
to have. When Grant died in 1885, the Southerners, along with 
the people of the North, mourned his death, believing that he 
was an honorable and true man. In 1897 his body was placed in 
a magnificent tomb which had been built to his memory in New 
York City. The whole of the United States, the South as well 
as the North, took part in the ceremonies held on that occasion, 
and no man was more conspicuous in that great funeral proces- 
sion than Robert E. Lee's nephew, General Fitzhugh Lee. 

Geography Study. Map of Middle Atlantic States. Locate Rich- 
mond, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Petersburg, Manassas, 
Appomattox Courthouse and Yorktown (Va.) ; Sharpsburg or Antietam 
(Md.) and Gettysburg (Pa.). How far is it from Richmond to Wash- 
ington? Map of the Southern States.. Locate Pittsburg Landing, Fort 
Donelson, Fort Henry, Nashville and Chickamauga (Tenn.) ; Charleston 
(S. C.) ; Atlanta and Savannah (Ga.) ; New Orleans (La.) and Vicks- 
burg (Miss.). 

Review Questions. Tell of the attack on Fort Sumter. Name 
some of the best-known Southern and Northern generals. Tell of Lee's 
early life and education. What kind of cadet was he at West Point ? 
Tell of his service in the United States Army. Tell of John Brown. 
Why did Lee leave the service of the United States ? Give the main 
battles in which Lee fought. Give some account of Grant's life. What 
had he done along the Mississippi River ? Tell of the campaign between 
Lee and Grant. Describe the two men at Appomattox Courthouse. Tell 



ROBERT E. LEE. 



287 



of Lee's farewell to his army. Tell of Grant's treatment of Lee. How 
did Lee spend the rest of his life ? What kind of man was Lee ? 
Tell of Grant's life after the war. 




CARING FOR THE WOUNDED. 




CHAPTER XXXV. 

Edison and BelL 

1847 . 1847 . 



SINCE the War of Secession, our country has prospered 
greatly. At the close of the war, there were thirty-six states, 
and there are now forty-five.* In 1867 we bought from Russia 
Alaska, which is in the northwestern part of North America and 
which was our only territory not included within the present 
boundary of the United States. 

Since the war, the population of the United States has more 
than doubled. It has not been a period of great political change 
or of war, but a period of wonderful development in industries, 
commerce and inventions. Morse applied electricity to teleg- 
raphy, and since that day, there have been many inventions 
through the application of electricity. They are too numerous 
to mention, but two stand out because of their great usefulness: 
the incandescent electric light and the telephone. Thomas Alva 

* The states admitted from 1845 to 1865 were Iowa (1846), Wisconsin (184S), Cali- 
fornia (1850), Minnesota (1858), Oregon (1859), Kansas (1S61), West Virginia (1863) 
and Nevada (1864). The nine states admitted since the war are Nebraska (1867), 
Colorado (1876), North Dakota (1889), South Dakota (1889), Montana (18S9), Wash- 
ington (1889), Idaho (1890), Wyoming (1890) and Utah (1896). Up to the time of 
the Spanish-American war the territories within the United States were New Mex- 
ico, Arizona, Indian Territory and Oklahoma. 



EDISON AND BELL. 2bO, 

Edison perfected the incandescent light and Alexander Graham 
Bell gave us the telephone. 

Edison was born in 1847 at tne small town of Milan, Erie 
County, Ohio, but when he was a mere boy his father moved to 
Port Huron, Michigan. Edison went regularly to school only 
two months in his life, but his mother, who had been a school 
teacher, taught him a great deal, and caused him to become 
intensely fond of reading. When he was only ten years old, he 
read Hume's "History of England" and Gibbons's "Fall and 
Decline of the Roman Empire." 

At the age of twelve, he became a newsboy on a passenger 
train, and sold papers, books, candies, etc. ; but during his spare 
moments he would read, and was constantly experimenting. In 
the corner of the baggage car where he stored his wares, he had 
a small chemical laboratory and a printing press. He received one 
day, as a gift from Mr. W. F. Story of The Detroit Free Press, 
three hundred pounds of old type thrown out as useless. With 
his old hand press he began printing a paper of his own called, 
from the railroad, The Grand Trunk Herald, of which he sold 
several hundred copies a week, the employees of the railroad 
being his best customers. He cared little for printing, how- 
ever, and soon turned his attention to telegraphy. 

At the beginning of the War of Secession, he was still run- 
ning as a newsboy on the train from Detroit to Port Huron. He 
found it very difficult to make a living, and he never knew ex- 
actly how many papers to carry on the route. The daily paper 
which he sold was The Detroit Free Press. Edison began to 
wonder how he might learn the news beforehand so that he 
might know how many papers to buy. He made a friend of 
one of the printers at the newspaper office and from him learned 
daily the most important items of news. By studying the head- 
lines in the first proof, Edison was able to make some estimate 
of the papers needed. One day his friend showed him the 



290 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



proof slip which gave the first report of the great battle of 
Pittsburg Landing, or Shiloh, and it gave the number of killed 
and wounded as sixty thousand men. Young Edison saw that 

here was an opportunity 
for him to sell papers. 
He went at once to the 
telegraph office in De- 
troit and made a bargain 
with the operator. The 
operator promised to 
wire to each of the prin- 
cipal stations on the 
route the news of the 
great battle, and for this 
service Edison promised 
him current literature 
for six months. 

Then the little boy 
had trouble to get his 
papers. He usually car- 
ried two hundred, but 
now he wanted fifteen 
hundred. The clerk re- 
fused to sell him this 
number of papers on 
credit, so he braced 
himself up, marched up- 
stairs to the office of 
Mr. Story, the propri- 
etor, and told him that he wanted fifteen hundred copies of 
the paper on credit. Mr. Story was pleased with the man- 
liness of young Edison, and wrote him an order. for the papers, 
and away the boy started on his route with fifteen hundred 




Copyright by W. K. L. Dickson. 

THOMAS A. EDISON 



EDISON AND BELL. 29 1 

copies of the Free Press. When he got to the first station, 
there was a great crowd on the platform ready to buy papers. 
He sold about two hundred at five cents apiece. When he 
reached the next station, he saw another great crowd waiting 
and he raised the price of his papers, selling them at ten cents 
each. When he reached Port Huron, he took such papers as 
he had left and hired a wagon and went through the streets cry- 
ing his papers at a quarter of a dollar. He passed a church full 
of worshippers, and when he yelled out the news of the great 
battle, the whole crowd, including the preacher, hurried out of the 
church and bought his papers. Thus he sold out the remainder 
of his papers at twenty-five cents a copy. 

Young Edison saw that telegraphy was a great thing, as it had 
enabled him to sell his newspapers; and he determined to be 
an operator, if he could get a chance. The opportunity came to 
him because of a brave and courageous deed. At one of the 
stations on the railroad between Port Huron and Detroit, Edison 
saw a young child playing on the track. A train was coming up 
rapidly, but Edison rushed boldly upon the track and pulled 
the child off just as the train dashed by. The child's father 
was the station master, and he was so grateful that he asked 
Edison to come to live with him and learn telegraphy. In a little 
while Edison became a fine operator and made several improve- 
ments in the telegraph instrument then in use. Edison soon 
secured a position as operator. At this time, when a message was 
sent from New Orleans to New York, it had to be taken at Mem- 
phis and then re-sent to Louisville, where it was again taken and 
telegraphed to another center, then to another, and finally to 
New York. This took time and delayed the message, and more- 
over it often caused mistakes to be made. Edison invented a 
little" automatic repeater," which was placed at these centers, 
and by this means New Orleans and New York were directly 
connected. 



2()2 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

Edison was now promised a position in the telegraph office 
at Boston. When he reached the office on a cold, wet day 
with a long duster clinging to his legs, all the young operators 
laughed at him, but Edison did not care. The chief operator 
looked at him and asked him what he wanted. Edison explained 
the object of his visit, and was told to take a seat. In a little 
while the New York office called up Boston and the chief oper- 
ator told Edison to take the message. Edison sat down for four 
and a half hours. Messages poured in and he wrote them out 
rapidly and clearly. The New York operator sent the messages 
faster and faster, but still Edison took them down and never 
wired back that the messages were sent too rapidly. At the end 
of the four and a half hours, the New York operator telegraphed, 
"Hello!" "Hello, yourself!" was Edison's reply. "Who 
are you?" "Tom Edison." 'You are the first man in the 
country," telegraphed the New Yorker, " that could ever take 
me at my fastest, and the only one that could ever sit at the 
other end of my wire for more than two and a half hours. I am 
proud to know you." 

Shortly after this Edison went to New Yorkand there estab- 
lished himself as an electrical expert. He so perfected the tele- 
graph that now many messages can be sent at the same time 
over the same wire, and thus the expense of many wires is 
saved. But the first invention from which Edison received any 
considerable sum of money was the improved " ticker" for stock 
brokers' offices. These tickers were electrical machines for 
recording stock quotations. 

Mr. Edison induced several New York capitalists to enter into 
a contract with him whereby he might have the means to try 
to perfect the incandescent electric light. They were to pay 
the expenses, and if he should succeed in inventing a successful 
light, they were to share in the profits. He then moved to 
Menlo Park, N. J., a little station on the Pennsylvania Road 



EDISON AND BELL. 



293 



about twenty-five miles from Newark, N. J. Here he built a 
laboratory and a shop, and went to work. About the first of 
January 1879, it was announced that Edison had solved the 
problem' of electric lights. At once gas stock fell on the market 
and everybody was interested in the new light. 

Edison had eighty lights in Menlo Park, and suddenly, 




Copyright, IQ03, by the Detroit Photographic Co. 

AN ELECTRICAL DISPLAY. 

after everything had gone well for about a month, they went 
out. Edison was terribly disheartened, but he is a man who 
never gives up. His success has been due to" persistency, more 
persistency, still more persistency." For five days he remained 
day and night in his laboratory, sleeping only a few hours at a 
time. The strain was too great for him, and he was at last forced 
to take to his bed. The world declared that the electric light was 



294 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

a failure. A prominent professor of physics at one of our best 
known colleges, in a newspaper article, declared that the electric 
light could never be perfected. But Edison's reliance in him- 
self and in the final success of the electric light is shown by a re- 
mark which he made to a friend in speaking of this professor: " I 
will make a statue of that man, and I will illuminate it brilliantly 
with Edison lamps and inscribe it, ' This is the man who said 
that the Edison lamp would not burn.' " After much hard 
work Edison discovered why his lamps did not burn; the air 
was not sufficiently exhausted from the burners. 

The Edison light has been a great success and it has been a 
great blessing. Many others of his inventions might be men- 
tioned, but it is sufficient to say that he was the first to construct 
an electric railway, and invented " the microphone, for magni- 
fying sound, so that a very low sound can be plainly heard at 
some distance; the megaphone, for long-distance speaking; the 
phonograph, for recording sound and repeating it; the mimeo- 
graph, for making many copies from one writing; the kineto- 
scope, for reproducing views of bodies in action ; the phonokine- 
toscope, adding sound to sight, so that one may see and hear a 
play or an opera which has previously taken place." Because 
of such wonderful inventions, he is sometimes called "The 
Wizard." 

His inventions have brought him in a large income, and he 
now has a fine home and a magnificent laboratory, where he 
is constantly experimenting. Edison is still a strong and healthy 
man, and we may reasonably hope that he has years of activ- 
ity before him and that he may give us many more wonderful 
inventions. 

Since the invention of the telegraph by Morse, many 
scientists have experimented with electricity in the hope of 
finding a way to convey sound. It was Alexander Graham 
Bell who discovered a successful way, and invented the tel- 



EDISON AND BELL. 



295 



ephone. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1847. ^ e 
moved to this country in 1872 and became well known in Bos- 
ton because of his success in the teaching of the deaf and dumb. 
He first began to study the transmission of sound by electricity 
when he was conducting some experiments with the hope of 
making sound vibrations visible to the eye and of thus teach- 
ing the deaf and dumb. 

For some years Bell was an instructor in Monroe's School of 
Oratory in Boston. One of his pupils says that his whole man- 
ner was earnest and enthusiastic. 
He rarely had any money and 
was without friends. On one oc- 
casion he had an attack of rheu- 
matism and his hospital fees had 
to be paid by his employer. 

While he was experimenting 
with the vibrations of sound, he 
unexpectedly discovered how, by 
means of electricity, sound may be 
conveyed along a wire from one 
point to another. In January, 
1876, he gave some demonstra- 
tions to his pupils in the Monroe 
school. He had a wire brought 
from the cellar of the house to his room on the fourth floor, 
and by this means singing in the cellar was heard in his room. 
In February, 1876, Bell took out a patent, and at the Centennial 
Exposition in Philadelphia the telephone was exhibited. At 
the time, it was spoken of as " perhaps the greatest marvel 
hitherto achieved by the electric telegraph." 

In a few years the telephone began to be widely used, and now 
in all our cities much business is conducted over it, and the people 
of the country by means of it can talk to their city friends. Every 




ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL. 



296 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

year some new improvement is made, and now a gentleman in 
New York can talk over a long-distance telephone with his sweet- 
heart in Chicago. 

In 1882 Bell was made a member of the Legion of Honor by 
the French government. His invention has made him very 
wealthy and he receives more than a million dollars a year from 
the use of his telephones. He resides in Washington City, and is 
still at work experimenting with electricity in its connection 
with sound vibrations. 

America gave the world, through Fulton, the first successful 
steamboat; through Morse, the first electric telegraph; through 
McCormick, the first reaper; through Edison, the perfected elec- 
tric lights, and through Bell, the telephone. Well may she be 
proud of these five inventors, and well may little Scotland boast 
of her sons in America, for these five men were of Scotch an- 
cestry. 

Geography Study. Map of the United States. Find Iowa, Wis- 
consin, California, Minnesota, Oregon, Kansas, West Virginia, Nevada, 
Nebraska, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, 
Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico and Indian 
Territory. Locate Port Huron and Detroit (Mich.) ; Newark (N. J.) ; 
Louisville (Ky.) and Memphis (Tenn.). 

Review Questions. Name the states admitted since 1845. How 
did we get Alaska ? Tell of the development of the United States since 
the Civil War. Tell of Edison's boyhood and experience as a newspaper 
boy. How did he come to study telegraphy? Tell of his experience in 
the Boston telegraph office. Tell of his experiments with telegraphy. 
Give an account of his work on the incandescent electric light. Name 
some of his chief inventions. Give an account of Bell. When was the 
first telephone exhibited ? What income does Bell get from his tele- 
phones ? Name five great inventors. What were their chief inventions ? 




CHAPTER XXXVI. 



George Dewey, 



Our first century of independence closed with the year 1876.- 
The one hundredth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration 
of Independence was celebrated with a world's fair, which was 
held in Philadelphia for six months of this year. . All nations of 
importance took part in this Centennial Exhibition. General 
Grant was then serving his second term as President. This ended 
in 1877, and he was succeeded by Rutherford B. Hayes. The 
next occupant of the presidential chair was James A. Garfield, 
who was assassinated a few months after his inauguration by a 
half-crazy office seeker, Guiteau. Vice-President Arthur suc- 
ceeded him. After this term expired, Grover Cleveland was 
honored with the chief magistracy of the nation. He was fol- 
lowed by Benjamin Harrison, and he in turn by Cleveland, who 
served a second term. William McKinley, of Ohio, the next in 
succession, was our twenty-fifth president. 

In 1895 the Cubans rose in rebellion against their Spanish 
rulers and began a war for independence. Spain sent large 
armies to Cuba to subdue the rebels. The Spanish troops were 
at first under the command of General Campos, but his war pol- 



298 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



icy was too mild to suit the Spanish government, and he was re- 
called. He was succeeded by General Weyler, who conducted 
the war in such a cruel way that he was called the " Spanish 
Butcher." He forced the country people to leave their farms, 
and to move to the towns to live. In this way he thought to 
stop the raising of food supplies and thereby starve the Cuban 
rebels into submission. The people who were thus crowded 
into cities were called reconcentrados. They were not provided 

with the means of living, and great 
numbers of them died of starvation. 
The Americans naturally sympa- 
thized with the Cubans in their 
struggle for liberty, and the cruel- 
ties practiced by the Spaniards 
made stronger the ill-feeling that 
the United States already bore 
toward Spain. 

Before the close of Cleveland's 
second term, General Fitzhugh 
Lee, of Virginia, was appointed 
Consul-General to Cuba. He took 
up his residence at Havana, the 
capital of Cuba, and from time to time sent to the United 
States government reports of what was going on in the island. 
In January, 1898, the United States battleship Maine was sent 
to Havana. Some riots had recently broken out in the city, 
and it was thought that American interests demanded the 
presence of a man-of-war for their protection. On the night 
of February 15, the Maine was destroyed and sunk by an 
explosion, and two hundred and sixty-six of the crew were 
killed. It was generally believed in the United States that 
the Spanish officials were responsible for the act, and our gov- 
ernment appointed four naval officers as a committee to find 




GENERAL FITZHUGH LEE. 



GEORGE DEWEY. 299 

out the cause of the disaster. After long investigation they re- 
ported that the explosion must have occurred from the outside. 
The findings of this board of inquiry only confirmed the people 
in the belief that the destruction of the Maine was either ordered 
by the Spanish authorities or allowed through their negligence. 

The Maine disaster raised the feeling of the Americans against 
Spain to a fever heat, and the sympathy of our people for the 
Cuban cause would no longer be restrained. Congress and the 
President now believed that the time had come for the United 
States to put a stop to the Spanish cruelties in Cuba. Accord- 
ingly, on the 19th of April, 1898, Congress passed a resolution 
empowering the President to use the armies and navies of the 
United States in compelling Spain to give up her authority over 
Cuba. This was practically a declaration of war, and prepara- 
tions for a contest with Spain were immediately begun. 

The President issued a call for one hundred and twenty-five 
thousand volunteers, which was promptly responded to from 
all sections of the country, Admiral Sampson was ordered to 
take the North Atlantic fleet and begin a blockade of the Cuban 
ports. Instructions were given also to Commodore Dewey, who 
was in command of the American ships at Hong-Kong, to find 
the Spanish fleet stationed near the Philippine Islands and to 
destroy it. The Philippines then belonged to Spain, and Com- 
modore Dewey was expected to strike a blow at the enemy in 
their eastern possessions. 

George Dewey* was born in Montpelier, Vermont, in Decem- 
ber, 1837. His father, Julius Yemans Dewey, was a successful 
physician, and a man of strong mind and character. He was 
very kind to his children and never lost his temper in their pres- 
ence. Pie early discovered the promise in young George, and 

* The magazines for 1898 have a great deal to say about Admiral Dewey, but 
the account by Winston Churchhill in the Review of Reviexus for June, 1898, is espe- 
cially good, and to that article the author desires to make acknowledgements. 




!\s* 






«\v« 



* -J 



1*^ 




iv 



GEORGE DEWEY. 301 

when a child, spoke of him as his " little hero." At this time, 
George showed less fondness for books than for the pleasures of 
out-door life. Near the vine-clad cottage in which Dr. Dewey 
lived there ran a beautiful stream called Onion River. Many 
happy days were spent by Dewey on this stream, along whose 
banks often, in his boyhood, he trudged with rod and line try- 
ing his luck at fishing. In this sport, he had a constant com- 
panion in his sister Mary, who took great pride in baiting the 
hook for her brother. 

Fishing was only one of the many amusements which Dewey 
took pleasure in when a boy. For a while he conducted in his 
father's barn a " nigger minstrel " show, which was very popular 
with the boys and girls of the neighborhood. But some of the 
neighbors did not enjoy the noise that was made by these per- 
formances, and so made complaint against the actors to Dr. 
Dewey, who put a stop to the plays. 

As a school boy, Dewey was noted for fighting. On one oc- 
casion he and the other boys of the school showed a spirit of 
rebellion against the authority of their teacher, and Dewey re- 
fused to be examined. Mr. Pangborn, the master, then seized 
him by the collar and gave him a severe whipping. Dewey went 
home, and the teacher, followed by the other boys, went home 
with him. On reaching his father's study, George pulled off his 
coat and showed the red stripes that Mr. Pangborn's whip had 
produced. Dr. Dewey was deeply grieved, but seeing that his 
son had not yet surrendered, he told him that he would punish 
him still more if what he had already received was not sufficient. 
After that, Dewey thought very highly of his teacher and went 
with him to Johnson, Vermont, when Mr. Pangborn established 
a school at that place. 

When Dewey was eleven years old, he and one of his friends 
tried to drive across a swollen stream in a buggy. The river was 
higher than it had been for years and the buggy was carried down 



302 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 



stream. George and his companion managed to get up on the 
horse and so were saved from drowning. When George arrived 
at home that evening, his father was away; but the young ad- 
venturer thought that the safest course for him to pursue would 
be to go to bed before supper. Accordingly, when Dr. Dewey 
returned, he found George tucked under the covers pretending 
to be asleep. The doctor, however, knew that he was awake, 

and gave him a scolding for venturing 
into the river. George replied in a 
drowsy tone: " You ought to be 
thankful that my life was spared." 

When Dewey was fifteen years 
old, he went to a military academy 
in Norwich, Vermont. Two years 
later he entered the United States 
Naval Academy at Annapolis. At 
that time there was much ill-feeling 
between the North and the South, 
and the Southern and Northern stu- 
dents had little love for each other. 
Dewey had not lost the fighting dis- 
position of his early childhood, and 
it was not long before he got into diffi- 
culties with the Southern students. One day one of the young 
men threw an inkstand at his head, and this brought on a fight, 
in which Dewey came out victorious. His opponent, however, 
was not satisfied and challenged him to a duel. Arrangements 
were made for the deadly encounter, when the classmates of the 
two would-be duelists put a stop to it by reporting the matter 
to the officers. 

In 1858 Dewey graduated from the naval academy, fifth in 
his class, and entered the United States Navy. He performed 
valuable "service in the war between the states, serving under 




ADMIRAL DEWEY. 



GEORGE DEWEY. 303 

Admiral Farragut, the greatest naval officer on the Northern 
side. Admiral Farragut once met Dr. Dewey in New York, 
and said to him: " Sir, your son George is a worthy and brave 
officer. He has an honorable record and some day will make 
his own mark." 

In the beginning of the Spanish War, Dewey had the rank of 
comm'odore, and was in command of our Asiatic squadron. On 
the twenty-sixth of April, 1898, he left Hong-Kong and sailed 
towards the Philippine Islands, which are off the eastern coast 
of Asia. Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is situated on 
Manila Bay, a large harbor, the entrance to which was at that 
time guarded by submarine mines and by guns on the shore. A 
Spanish fleet, commanded by Admiral Montojo, was lying in the 
bay near the land batteries. 

On the night of April 30, 1898, Dewey's squadron moved 
quietly into Manila Bay. The lights had been extinguished in 
all the vessels, and they slipped by the shore batteries at the 
mouth of the harbor without being discovered. The men slept 
by their guns during the remainder of the night and were ready 
for action the next morning. At dawn, from all the American 
ships was raised the cry, " Remember the Maine! " The battle 
at once began and continued for two hours. The Americans 
then stopped to eat breakfast and rested for a short while. The 
contest was renewed just before eleven o'clock, and in an hour 
and fifteen minutes the battle had ended. Eleven war-vessels, 
one transport and one water battery of the enemy were destroyed, 
and many of their men were killed. The Americans did not lose 
a single man or ship, and only seven men were slightly wounded. 
This great victory won for Commodore Dewey a world-wide 
reputation as a naval commander, and when he returned to 
America, his fellow countrymen were loud in their praises of the 
hero of the war. The people all over the country vied with each 
other in expressions of affection for his great service to his coun- 



304 



MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY 



try. The rank of full admiral was afterwards conferred upon him. 
This is the highest honor that the United States Navy has at 
its disposal, and only one other man, Admiral Farragut, has ever 
enjoyed such a distinction. 

Just before the battle of Manila, a Spanish fleet under the 
command of Admiral Cervera had left the Cape Verde Islands 

and sailed for the 
West Indies. On 
the 19th of May, 
Admiral Cervera 
entered the har- 
bor of Santiago de 
Cuba. Commo- 
dore Schley, who 
was already in 
West Indian 
waters, appeared 
before Santiago 
with the " flying 
squadron." Ad- 
miral Sampson 
soon joined Schley 
with the North 
Atlantic fleet, and 
close watch was 
kept over Admiral Cervera to prevent his escape. Lieutenant 
Hobson, of Alabama, conceived the plan of sinking a vessel in the 
narrow entrance to the harbor in order to shut in the enemy's fleet. 
One morning he and seven volunteers conducted a collier, the 
Merrimac, to the desired spot and sunk it. The men escaped 
on rafts and boats to the nearest Spanish vessel and surrendered 
themselves as prisoners. It was a very brave deed, as the har- 
bor was full of explosives and the Merrimac had to undergo an 




LIEUTENANT HOBSON. 




THE MERRIMAC ENTERING SANTIAGO HARBOR 



306 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. 

unceasing fire from the enemy's guns before it reached the place 
where it was to be sunk. 

General Shafter soon afterwards landed an army near San- 
tiago and undertook the capture of the city. On July first and 
second, severe fighting occurred before Santiago. In these 
battles Generals Lawton and Wheeler took leading parts, and 
Colonel Roosevelt, commanding a regiment of cowboys and 
college men known as the "Rough Riders," distinguished him- 
self by his bravery. Both sides lost heavily in these battles, but 
the Americans were victorious. General Shafter was now in pos- 
session of heights from which he could shell the city and the bay. 
Next day the Spanish fleet slipped away from the harbor, and 
was pursued by the American ships. Admiral Cervera was over- 
taken and his fleet was wrecked and forced to surrender. The 
Spanish losses were heavy, and Admiral Cervera was taken pris- 
oner. The Americans lost only one killed and two wounded. 

This was virtually the close of the war. Santiago and Manila 
soon afterwards surrendered, and Porto Rico was taken posses- 
sion of by General Miles. On February 6, 1899, the treaty of 
peace, which had been signed at Paris, was ratified by the United 
States Senate. Spain acknowledged the independence of Cuba 
and surrendered to the United States her claim to Porto Rico 
and the Philippine Islands. The United States, in turn, agreed 
to pay to Spain twenty million dollars for the Philippines. 

On September 6, 1901, President McKinley, while in attend- 
ance at the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo, was shot by 
an anarchist. Eight days later he died in Buffalo, and Vice- 
President Roosevelt became President 

Our country is now enjoying great prosperity, and President 
Roosevelt has negotiated a treaty for a canal across the isthmus 
of Panama, so that our commerce with the East by way of the 
Pacific may be increased. Our President is a fearless man, and 
does ivhat he believes to be right without regard to the conse- 



GEORGE DEWEY. 307 

quences. He is undoubtedly a patriotic man, and one of the best 
scholars in the United States. Let us be proud of our country, 
which to-day ranks among the foremost nations of the world. 

Geography Study. Map of the United States. Locate Montpelier 
and Johnson (Vt.) and Annapolis (Md.). Map of the Philippines. Point 
out the chief islands. Where is Manila? Map of the West Indies. Find 
Cuba and Porto Rico. Locate Havana and Santiago de Cuba. 

Review Questions. Tell of the centennial of 1876. Who have 
been our presidents since Garfield? Tell of the Cuban Insurrection. 
What did Weyler do? Tell of Fitzhugh Lee in Cuba. Give an account 
of the destruction of the Maine. What resolution did Congress pass? 
What was Sampson ordered to do and what was Dewey ordered to do? 
Give an account of the boyhood and education of Dewey. Tell of his 
service in the navy during the war between the states. Tell of Dewey's 
attack and capture of Manila. How did the American people honor him ? 
Tell of Sampson, Schley and Hobson at Santiago de Cuba. Tell of 
Shafter, Lawton, W r heeler and Roosevelt. What did General Miles do? 
Tell of the treaty with Spain. Tell of the death of McKinley. What 
kind of man is Roosevelt ? 




Key to Pronunciation. 

a as in hat. e as in hen. o as in hot. 

a as in cane. e as in mete. 6 as in rote. 

a as in lard. i as in hit. 6 as in for. 

a as u in but. I as in line. u German it. 

y as in yet. 



Index, 



Abolition Party, organized, 255. 

Abraham, heights of, 116; plains of, 
117, 1 18. 

Adams, John, minister to England, 101 ; 
becomes Vice-President, 154 ; becomes 
President, 182. 

Alaska, purchase of, 288. 

Albemarle, colony of, 92. 

Albemarle, Duke of, 92. 

America, discovery of, 19 ; naming of, 
28. 

Ann, the, 98. 

Antietam, see Sharpsburg. 

Anti-Federalist Party, 181, 182. 

Appomattox Courthouse, scene of Lee's 
surrender, 282, 283. 

Ark, the, 83. 

Armada, the Spanish, 48. 

Arthur, Vice-President, becomes Presi- 
dent, 297. 

Ashburton Treaty, 236. 

Augusta (Ga.), founding of, 99. 

Bainbridge, Commodore, 199. 

Balboa, as outlaw, escapes to Darien, 
37 ; searches for gold, 38, 39 ; dis- 
covers the Pacific, 39 ; condemned to 
death, 39. 

Ball, Mary, 144. 

Baltimore, Lords, see Calvert. 

Barron, Commodore, 198, 199. 

Beasley, Major, 203. 



Beauregard, General, attacks Sumter, 
274. 

Beauvoir, 255. 

Bell, Alexander Graham, birth of, 294 ; 
comes to Boston, 295 ; early experi- 
ments and discoveries of, 295 ; invents 
telephone, 295 ; present home of, 296. 

Berkeley, Lord, 88. 

Bill of Abominations, the, 244. 

Biloxi, no. 

Bladersburg, 199. 

Boone, Daniel, birth and early life of, 
121, 122 ; explores Kentucky, 122, 123 ; 
captured by Indians, 123 ; experiences 
in North Carolina and Kentucky, 124 ; 
at Point Pleasant, 124 ; founds Boones- 
borough, 124 ; portrait of, 125; defends 
Boonesborough, 126; goes to Louisiana, 
127 ; last years and death of, 128. 

Boonesborough, 124, 125, 126. 

Booth, Wilkes, 270. 

Boston, founding of, 63. 

Boston Tea Party, 140. 

Braddock, General, 112, 113, 146, 147. 

Bradford, William, goes to Holland with 
Separatists, 61 ; comes to New Eng- 
land, 61 ; elected governor of colony, 
62, 63 ; death of, 63. 

Brandywine, battle of the, 150. 

Bridgewater, Duke of, 188. 

Brown, John, 277. 

Bryan, Rebecca, wife of Daniel Boone, 122. 



3io 



INDEX. 



Buena Vista, 221, 222. 
Bull Run, see Manassas. 
Bunker Hill, battle of, 150. 
Burgoyne, General, 150, 151. 
Burnside, A. E., 275 ; defeated at Fred- 
ericksburg, 279. 

Cabot, John, early life of, 30 ; settles in 
England, 31 ; voyages west with son, 
31 ; discovers Newfoundland, 31, 32 ; 
called " High Admiral," 32 ; death of, 
32. 

Cabot, Lewis, 31. 

Cabot, Sanzio, 31. 

Cabot, Sebastian, early life of, 31 ; sails 
for China, 32 ; discovers North Amer- 
ica, 33 ; serves King of Spain, 33 ; re- 
turns to England, 33. 

Calhoun, John C, birth and early life of, 
241, 242 ; admitted to the bar, 243 ; 
enters public life, 243 ; opposes Bill of 
Abominations, 244 ; supports Nullifi- 
cation Ordinance, 245; death and burial 
of, 246. 

Calhoun, Patrick, 241. 

Calvert, Cecil, second Lord Baltimore, 
83 ; proprietor of Maryland, 83 ; es- 
tablishes colony in Maryland, 83, 84. 

Calvert, George, birth and early life of, 
81 ; becomes Catholic, 82 ; made Lord 
Baltimore, 82 ; plants colony in New- 
foundland, 82 ; visits Virginia, 82 ; re- 
ceives grant of present Maryland and 
Delaware, 82, 83 ; death of, 83. 

Calvert, Leonard, 84. 

Cambridge (Mass.), old elm at, 150. 

Campos, General, 297. 

Canary Islands, discovery of, 18. 

Cape Breton, discovery of, 31. 

Carden, Captain, 196. 

Carolina, North, origin of, 95. 



Carolina, South, origin of, 95. 

Carolinas, the, original grant of, 92 ; 
early history of, 95 ; division of, 95. 

Carpet-baggers, 272. 

Carteret, Sir George, 88. 

Carver, John, 6r, 62. 

Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia, 
297. 

Cervera, Admiral, sails for West Indies, 
304 ; surrender and capture of, 306. 

Champlain, the explorer, 103. 

Chancellorsville, battle of, 279. 

Charles II., King of England, comes to 
throne, 82 ; gives land grants to George 
Calvert, 82 ; renews grant to Cecil Cal- 
vert, 83 ; grants land to William Penn, 
89 ; grants Carolinas to proprietors, 
92. . 

Charleston, founding of, 92 ; capture of, 
152. 

Charlestown, founding of, 63. 

Chesapeake, the, 198. 

City of Mexico, fall of the, 222. 

Clarendon, colony of, 92 ; Earl of, 92. 

Clark, George Rogers, birth and early 
life of, 159, 160; settles in Kentucky, 
124, 160 ; captures Kaskaskia, 161 ; 
conquers Northwest Territory, 162, 
163 ; death of, 163. 

Clay, Henry, birth and early life of, 225, 
226 ; as a public speaker, 227 ; as a 
lawyer, 227 ; as U. S. Senator, 227, 
228 ; as Secretary of State, 228 ; sup- 
ports Missouri Compromise, 228-230 ; 
offers Omnibus Bill, 231 ; death of, 
231 ; character of, 231, 232. 

Clayborne, William, 84. 

Clermont, the, 190, 191. 

Cleveland, Grover, 297, 298. 

Clinton, General, 152. 

Columbus, early life of, 14, 15 ; marriage 



INDEX. 



311 



of, 15 ; plans sailing enterprise to In- 
dia, 15; obtains aid from Spain, 16, 17; 
departs from Palos, 17 ; voyage of, 18 ; 
discovers New World, 19 ; returns to 
Spain, 20, 21 ; other voyages of, 2r, 
22 ; death of, 23. 

Compensation Bill, the, 228. 

Confederate States of America, the, 257. 

Confederation, the Articles of, 170. 

Constitution, the, 198. 

Constitution of the United States, adop- 
tion of, 142 ; amendments to, 270. 

Constitutions, Fundamental, 93, 94, 95. 

Continental Congress, 149. 

Conventicle Act, 88. 

Cornwallis, General, 152, 153, 

Cowpens, battle of the, 152. 

Cromwell, Oliver, 130. 

Cuba, discovery of, 20 ; rebellion of, 
against Spain, 297, 298 ; becomes inde- 
pendent, 306. 

Custis,. Martha, wife of George Wash- 
ington, 147, 14S. 

Custis, Mary, wife of Robert E. Lee, 
277- 

Custis, Washington Parke, 277. 

Da Gama, Vasco, 30. 

Dare, Virginia, 47, 48. ' 

Darien, Balboa reaches, 37. 

Davenport, John, comes to Connecticut, 
73 ; founds New Haven, 74. 

Davis, Jefferson, birth and early life of, 
257 ; enters politics, 257, 258 ; in 
Mexican war, 258, 259 ; in the U. S. 
Senate, 259, 260 ; as Secretary of War, 
259 ; retires from Senate, 261 ; as 
president of Confederate States, 261 ; 
captured near Irvinville, 261 ; as pris- 
oner and exile, 262, 263 ; death and 
burial of, 263. 



Decatur, Stephen, portrait of, 192 ; birth 
and early life of, 193, 194 ; in Tripoli- 
tan war, 194, 195 ; in. war of 1812, 196- 

5 198 ; sails into Mediterranean, 198 ; 
death of, 198, 199. 

Declaration of Independence, drafting 
of, 179, 180. 

De Grasse, Count, 152. 

Delaware, early history of, 89. 

Delaware, Lord, 58. 

Delaware River, first settlement on, 79. 

De Leon, Ponce, early life of, 35 ; joins 
second expedition of Columbus, 35 ; 
governs Haiti, 35 ; conquers Porto 
Rico, 36 ; discovers Florida, 36 ; death 
of, 37- 

Democratic-Republican Party, origin of, 
1S2. 

De Soto, Hernando, ambitions of, 39, 

40 ; goes to Peru, 40 ; governs Cuba 
and Florida, 40 ; searches for gold, 40, 

41 ; treats Indians cruelly, 41 ; dis- 
covers the Mississippi, 41 ; death of, 
41 ; fate of the followers of, 42. 

De Triana, Rodrigo, 19. 

Dewey, George, 297; sent against Spanish 
fleet, 299, 303 ; birth and early life of, 
299, 301, 302 ; enters U. S. Navy, 
302 ; victory of, at Manila Bay, 303 ; 
made Admiral, 304. 

Dewey, Julius Yemans, 299. 

Dinwiddie, Governor, 146. 

Discovery, the, 53. 

Dorchester Heights, fortification of, 150. 

Dove, the, 83. 

Drake, Sir Francis, 46. 

Dunmore, Governor, 124. 

Dvvight, Dr., of Yale, 242. 

Ebenezer (Ga.), founding of, 99. 
Edison, Thomas A., birth and early life 



3i2 



INDEX. 



of, 289-291 ; learns telegraphy, 291 ; 
invents automatic repeater, 291 ; per- 
fects telegraph, 292 ; invents an elec- 
tric light, 292-294. 

Elizabeth, Queen, 45, 46,48. 

Ellsworth, Miss, 250. 

Emancipation Proclamation issued, 269, 
270. 

Endicott, John, 63. 

Endymion, English frigate, 196. 

Eutaw Springs, battle of, 152. 

Fairfax, Lord, 145, 146. 

Farragut, Admiral, 276 ; captures New 

Orleans, 280 ; quoted, 303. 
Fauquier, Governor, 177. 
Federalist Party, origin of, 182. 
Ferdinand, King of Spain, 16, 19, 23. 
Fillmore, Millard, President, 223, 236, 

239- 

Florida, discovery and naming of, 36 ; 
scene of battle between Indians and 
Ponce de Leon, 37 ; invasion of, by 
Oglethorpe, 99, 100. 

Forrest, N. B., 275. 

Fort Alamo, 212, 213. 

Fort Duquesne, 112, 147. 

Fort Christiana, 79. 

Fort Uonelson, 280. 

Fort Harrison, 218, 219. 

Fort Henry, 2S0. 

Fort Mimms, 203, 204. 

Fort Raleigh, 47. 

Fort Sumter, 274. 

Franklin, Benjamin, birth and early life 
of, 165-167 ; publishes almanac, 168 ; 
makes scientific discoveries, 168 ; op- 
poses Stamp Act, 168, 170; signs 
Declaration, 170 ; as ambassador to 
France, 170-172 ; elected president of 
Pennsylvania, 172 ; as representative 



at Convention of 1787, 172-174 ; last 

years and death of, 174. 
Frederica (Ga.), founding of, 99. 
Fredericksburg, battle of, 279. 
French and Indian war, 112-119, 146. 
Fulton, Robert, birth and early life of, 

187, 188 ; builds steamboat, 189, 190 ; 

death of, 190. 

Garfield, James A., 297. 

Garrison, William Lloyd, 255. 

Gazette, the, 168. 

Genoa, 13, 14. 

George TL, King of England, 98. 

Georgia, beginnings of, 98 ; progress of, 
99. 

Gettysburg, battle of, 279, 280. 

Ghent, treaty of, 198. 

Gilbert, Sir Humphrey, 45, 46. 

God Speed, the, 53. 

Good Hope, Cape of, 30. 

Gore, Hon. Christopher, 235. 

Grant, U. S., 276 ; put in command of 
Federal troops, 280, 281 ; earlier mil- 
itary successes of, 280 ; birth and early 
life of, 281; in campaign against Lee, 
281, 282 ; receives Lee's surrender, 
282-284 ; as President, 2S5 ; death 
and burial of, 286. 

Gridley, Jeremiah, 131, 133. 

Guerriere, English frigate, 198. 

Guilford Courthouse, battle of, 152. 

Guiteau, 297. 

Haiti, 20, 22, 35. 

Half Moon, the, 76. 

Hamilton, Alexander, 156. 

Hamilton, governor of Illinois, 161, 162. 

Hanks, Nancy, 265. 

Hanover Courthouse, 137. 

Harper's Ferry, 277. 



INDEX. 



313 



Harrison, Benjamin, 297. 

Hartford, founding of, 73. 

Hayes, Rutherford B., 297. 

Hayne, Colonel, 237, 238. 

Hennepin, 107. 

Henrietta Maria, Queen, 83. 

Henry VII., King of England, 30, 31, 

33- 
Henry Patrick, birth and early life of, 
135, 136 ; becomes a lawyer, 136 ; 
argues Parsons' Case, 136-138 ; pro- 
tests against Stamp Act, 138 ; intro- 
duces resolutions at Virginia Conven- 
tion, 141 ; made commander-in-chief of 
Virginia forces, 141 ; becomes governor 
of Virginia, 141 ; prophesies Revolu- 
tion, 142 ; last years and death of, 142, 

M3- 

Hermitage, the, 203. 

Hill, A. P., 275- 

Hobson, Lieutenant, at Santiago, 304, 

305- 

Hooker, Joseph, 275 ; defeated at Chan- 
cellorsville, 279. 

Hooker, Thomas, comes to Boston, 72 ; 
founds colony of Connecticut, 72, 73. 

Horseshoe Bend, battle of, 204. 

Houston, Sam, at Horseshoe Bend, 208, 
209 ; birth and early life of, 209 ; be- 
comes governor of Tennessee, 210 ; 
marriage of, 210 ; befriends Indians, 
211 ; removes to Texas, 212 ; in Texan 
war, 212, 213 ; becomes president of 
Texas, 214 ; becomes governor of 
Texas, 215 ; death of, 215. 

Howe, General, at Brandywine, 150 ; 
evacuates Philadelphia, 152. 

Howell, Varina, 257. 

Hudson Bay, discovery of, 77. 

Hudson, Henry, sent out by London 
Company, 75, 76 ; enters service of 



Dutch East India Company, 76 ; dis- 
covers Hudson River, 76 ; discovers 
Hudson Bay, 77 ; fate of, 77. 

Hudson River, discovery of the, 76. 

Huguenots, 93. 

Hull, Captain Isaac, 198. 

Hutchinson, Mrs. Ann, 71. 

Intrepid, the, 194, 195. 

Irving, Washington, 16. 

Isabella, Queen of Spain, 16, 17, 19, 21. 

Jackson, Andrew, the elder, 201. 

Jackson, Andrew, birth and early life of, 
201, 202 ; in war of 181 2, 203-206 ; as 
President, 206, 207 ; death of, 207. 

Jackson, Robert, 202. 

Jackson, Thomas J. (" Stonewall"), 275; 
statue of, 278 ; killed at Chancellors- 
ville, 279. 

James, Duke of Vork, 79, 80. 

James I., King of England, 4S, 49, 52; 
grants charter, 53 ; town named in 
honor of, 54. 

James River, naming of, 53, 54. 

Jamestown, founding of, 54. 

Jefferson, Jane, 176. 

Jefferson, Peter, 176. 

Jefferson, Thomas, birth and early life of, 
176, 177; as a lawyer, 177; marriage 
of, 177, 178 ; as a member of House of 
Burgesses, 17S, 179 ; as author of De- 
claration of Independence, 179, 180 ; 
originates bill for religious freedom, 
180; as minister to France, 181; be- 
comes Washington's Secretary of State, 
181; politics of, 181, 182; as President, 
182-184 ; last years and death of , 184- 
186. 

John, King of Portugal, 15. 

Johnson, impeachment of, 272. 



3H 



INDEX. 



Johnston, Albert Sidney, 274 ; at Pitts- 
burg Landing, 280. 

Johnston, Joseph E., 274 ; portrait of, 
277 ; wounded at Richmond, 279. 

Johnston, Sarah, 266. 

Joliet, 104. 

Jones, John Gabriel, 160. 

Kaskaskia, 161, 162. 
Kennedy, John P., 249. 

Lafayette, General, 152. 

Lane, Ralph, 46/ 

La Salle, Cavalier de, comes to Canada, 
105 ; birth and early life of, 106 ; ex- 
plores Great Lakes, 106, 107 ; reaches 
mouth of Mississippi, 108 ; founds 
Louisiana, 108 ; returns to France, 
108 ; plants French colony in Texas, 
109; death of, 109, no. 

La Taneria, 258. 

Lawrence, Captain, 198. 

Lee, Fitzhugh, 275 ; quoted, 2S3 ; at 
funeral of Grant, 286 ; appointed con- 
sul general to Cuba, 298 ; as admiral, 

304. 

Lee, Robert E., portrait of, 274 ; birth 
and early life of, 276 ; marriage of, 
277 ; in Mexican war, 277; superinten- 
dent at West Point, 277 ; captures John 
Brown, 277; becomes commander-in- 
chief of Virginia forces, 278 ; present 
at State Convention, 278; succeeds 
Johnston, 279 ; at second Manassas, 
279 ; at Antietam, Fredericksburg, 
Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, 279, 
280 ; in campaign against Grant, 281, 
282 ; surrenders, 282-284 \ i ast years 
and death of, 284, 285 ; character of, 
285. 

Lewis, General Andrew, 124. 



Lincoln, Abraham, portrait of, 265 ; birth 
and early life of, 266-268 ; practises law, 
268 ; enters politics, 268 ; elected Pres- 
ident, 269 ; issues Emancipation Proc- 
lamation, 269 ; assassination of, 270 ; 
character of, 271. 

Lincoln, General, 153. 

Lincoln, Thomas, 265, 266. 

Livingston, Robert, 182, 189. 

Locke, John, frames " Fundamental Con- 
stitutions," 93, 94 ; birth and early life 
of, 94 ; flees to Holland, 94 ; returns 
to England, 94 ; death of, 94. 

London Company, the, 53, 56, 58. 

Long Island, battle of, 150. 

Longstreet, James, 275. 

Louis XIV., King of France, 108. 

Louisburg, siege of, 114, 115. 

Louisiana, naming of, 108 ; purchase of, 
127, 182-184. 

Ludwell, Philip, 95. 

McClellan, George B., 275 ; driven back 

from Richmond, 279. 
McCormick, Cyrus Hall, birth and early 

life of, 252 ; manufactures reapers, 252, 

253 ; invents reaper, 253 ; character of, 

253, 254. 
McCormick, Robert, 252. 
McDonough, Captain, 198. 
Macedonian, English frigate, 196. 
McKinley, William, becomes President, 

297 ; death of, 306. 
McLean, Wilmer, 282. 
Madison, James, 184. 
Maine, the U. S. battleship, destruction 

of, 298, 299. 
Manassas, first and second battle of, 279. 
Manhattan Island, first settlement on, 78. 
Manila, surrender of, 306. 
Manila Bay, battle of, 303. 



INDEX. 



315 



Marquette, Father, searches for the Mis- 
sissippi, 104 ; death of, 104, 105. 

Marquette River, 105. 

Maryland, grant of, 83 ; founding and 
early history of, 84. 

Massachusetts Bay colony, 64, 65. 

Mayflower, the, 61, 62. 

Meade, George C, 275 ; at Gettysburg, 

279- 

Merrimac, an American collier, 304-306. 

Mexico, treaty with, 222. 

Miles, General, 306. 

Mississippi, the discovery of, 39, 41. 

Missouri Compromise, 229, 230. 

Monmouth Courthouse, battle of, 52. 

Monroe, James, signs treaty with France, 
182, 183 ; as President, 184. 

Montcalm, General, 116, 118. 

Monterey, battle of, 221. 

Montojo, Admiral, 303. 

Morse, Samuel F. B., birth and early life 
of, 247, 248 ; visits Europe, 248 ; in- 
vents telegraphic instrument, 248, 249 ; 
presents bill to Congress, 249 ; com- 
pletes telegraph line, 250 ; later years 
of, 250. 

Mount Vernon, 145, 148, 155, 156. 

Napoleon, 182, 183. 
Navigation acts, 130. 
Newfoundland, discovery of, 31, 32. 
Newfoundland, attempts to colonize, 45, 

46. 
New Amsterdam, settlement of, 78. 
New Hampshire, settlement of, 74. 
New Haven, colony of, 74. 
New Jersey, settlement and division of, 

88. 
New Netherland, 78, 79. 
New Orleans, settlement of, no ; battle 

of, 204, 205 ; capture of, 280. 



New Sweden, 79. 

New York, founding of, 80. 

Nina, the, 17. 

Northwest Territory, 162, 163. 

Nullification Ordinance, 245. 

Oglethorpe, James, early life of, 97 ; 
plans to found colony in America, 97, 
98 ; receives land grant and money for 
enterprise, 98 ; elected governor of 
proposed colony, 98 ; founds Georgia, 
98 ; invades Florida, 99, 100 ; last 
years and death of, 100, 101. 

Okeechobee Swamp, battle of, 219, 220. 

Omnibus Bill, 231. 

Oregon Region, the old, 236. 

Otis, James, birth and early life of, 131 ; 
defends pirates, 131, 132 ; defends 
New England against search system, 
x 32, 133 ; last years and death of, 133, 
134- 

Osceola, 219. 

Osolooteka, 211. 

Pacific Ocean, discovery of, 37. 

Pan American Exposition, 306. 

Parsons' Case, 136-138. 

Penn, Admiral, 87, 88, 89. 

Penn, William, birth and early life of, 
86, 87 ; becomes a Quaker, 87 ; brings 
colony to West New Jersey, 88 ; founds 
Pennsylvania, 89 ; helps to establish 
Delaware, 89 ; later years of, 90. 

Pennsylvania, settlement of, 89. 

Pequots, war with, 71. 

Perry, Captain Oliver H., 198. 

Personal Liberty Acts, passage of, 255. 

Petersburg, abandoned, 282. 

Philadelphia, founding of, 89. 

Philadelphia, the, 194, 195. 

Philip, Indian chief, 72. 



3i6 



INDEX. 



Pickett, General, 279. 

Pilgrims, the, 61. 

Pinla, the, 17, 18, 19. 

Pinzon, Martin and Vicente, 17. 

Pitt, William, 113, 114. 

Pittsburg Landing, battle of, 2S0. 

Plymouth, landing at, 62; united to Mas- 
sachusetts, 74. 

Plymouth Company, the, 60. 

Pocahontas, 55, 56. 

Polk, Leonidas, 275. 

Pope, General, at second Manassas, 279. 

Point Pleasant, battle of, 124. 

Pokanokets, the, 72. 

Porto Rico, conquered by De Leon, 35, 
36 ; surrendered to United States, 306. 

Portsmouth, settlement of, 71. 

Portugal, Columbus visits, 15; Columbus 
departs from, 16. 

Powhatan, 56. 

Preble, Commodore, 194. 

President, the, 196, 197. 

Princeton, battle of, 150. 

Providence (R. I.), founding of, 70. 

Puritans, the, 63. 

Quakers, the, 86. 

Quebec, founding of, 103 ; siege of , 115- 
119. 

Raleigh, Sir Walter, birth and early life 
of, 44 ; at court of Queen Elizabeth, 
45; sends out first colony, 46 ; sends 
out second colony, 47 ; marriage of, 
48 ; execution of, 49, 50. 

Raleigh Tavern, 178. 

Randolph, Isham, 176. 

Ratcliffe, 57. 

Rathbone, Major, 270. 

Reaper, invention of, 252, 253. 

Republican Party, origin of, 256. 



Rhode Island, founding of, 71. 
Richmond, seven days' fighting around, 

279 ; abandoned by Lee, 282. 
Rives, William C, 248. 
Roanoke Island, 46, 48. 
Robertson, James, 121. 
Rochblave, Governor, 161. 
Rolfe, John, 56. 
Roosevelt, Colonel, at Santiago, 306 ; as 

President, 306. 

St. Anthony's Falls, 107. 

St. Augustine, building of, 44. 

St. Lawrence, Gulf of, 31, 32. 

St. Mary's, founding of, 84. 

Salem, settlement of, 63. 

Sampson, Admiral, blockades Cuban 
ports, 299 ; at Santiago, 304. 

San Jacinto Bay, battle of, 212. 

Santa Anna, 212, 213, 221, 222. 

Santa Maria, the, 17. 

Santiago, surrender of, 306. 

Savannah, capture of, 152. 

Scalawags, 272. 

Schley, Commodore, 304. 

Scott, Dred, 256. 

Scott, General Winfield, 222. 

Separatists, the, 60, 61. 

Sevier, John, 121. 

Shafter, General, attacks Santiago, 306. 

Shaftesbury, Earl of, 92, 93, 94. 

Shannon, English frigate, 198. 

Sharpsburg, battle of, 269, 279. 

Sherman, William T., 275. 

Skelton, Mrs., 177, 178. 

Smith, Captain John, birth and early life 
of, 51 ; adventures of, 52, 53 ; sails 
with London Company, 53 ; as ruler 
of the colony, 55-57 ; Pocahontas saves 
life of, 56 ; injured by gunpowder, 58 ; 
returns to England, 58 ; death of, 58. 



INDEX. 



317 



Smith, E. Kirby, 275. 

Society of Friends, see Quakers. 

Spain, war with, 299-306. 

Speedwell, the, 61. 

Spotsylvania Courthouse, battle of, 281, 
282. 

Stamp Act, 135, 138, 140. 

Standish, Miles, 63. 

Stansberry, William, 211. 

State-rights, 1S1. 

States, admission of, 214 ; 288, footnote. 

Stephens, Alexander H., 256, 257. 

Stewart, companion of Daniel Boone, 
123. 

Stuart, J. E. B., 275. 

Stuyvesant, Peter, early life of, 78 ; gov- 
ernor of New Amsterdam, 78 ; makes 
New Sweden part of New Netherland, 
79 ; surrenders to English, 79 ; last 
years and death, 80. 

Susan Constant, the, 53. 

Tarleton, Colonel, 152. 

Taylor, Colonel, 217, 218. 

Taylor, Colonel Zachary, 257. 

Taylor, Sarah Knox, 257. 

Taylor, Zachary, birth and early life of, 

217, 21S ; in war of 1S12, 218, 219; 

at Okeechobee Swamp, 219, 220 ; at 

Monterey and Buena Vista, 221, 222 ; 

elected President, 223 ; death and 

burial of, 223, 224. 
Tecumseh, 203. 

Telegraph, invention of, 248-251. 
Telephone, invention of, 295, 296. 
Texas, Republic of, 214 ; State of, 

215. 
Thomas, George H., 275. 
Trenton, battle of, 150. 
Tripoli, war with, 192-195. 
Toscanelli, 24. 



United States, the, 196. 

Valley Forge, 151. 

Vespucius, Americus, birth and early life 

of, 24 ; goes to Spain, 25 ; sails to West 

Indies, 25 ; visits South America, 26 ; 

commands expedition of 1502, 27 ; 

fourth voyage of, 27 ; has maps drawn, 

27, 28; New World named after, 28; 

death of, 28. 
Vicksburg, capture of, 280. 
Vincennes, 162, 163. 
Virginia, naming of, 46 ; University of, 

185. 

Waddell, Mr., 241. 

Washington, Augustine, 144. 

Washington, George, with General Brad- 
dock, 112 ; birth and early life of, 144, 
145 ; as a surveyor, 146 ; at Fort Du- 
quesne, 147 ; marriage of, 148 ; at 
Mount Vernon, 148, 149 ; as member 
of Continental* Congress, 149; made 
commander-in-chief, 149, 150 ; early 
campaign of, 150; at Valley Forge, 
151, 152 ; at Monmouth Courthouse, 

152 ; in New Vork, 152 ; at Vorktown, 

153 ; as president of Philadelphia con- 
vention, 154 ; as President of the U. S., 
154-156 ; last years and death of, 156. 

Washington, Martha, 148. 

Watt, 1S8, 1S9. 

Wayles, John, 177. 

Webster, Colonel, 233, 234, 235. 

Webster, Daniel, birth and early life of, 
233-235 ; practises law, 235, 236 ; re- 
moves to Massachusetts, 235 ; as Sec- 
retary of State, 236, 239 ; negotiates 
Ashburton Treaty, 236, 237 ; as U. S. 
senator, 237, 238, 239 ; death of, 239 ; 
quoted, 246. 



3i8 



INDEX. 



Wesley brothers, the, 99. 

West, Benjamin, 18S. 

Wethersfield (Conn.), founding of, 73. 

Weyler, General, 298. 

White, John, 47, 48. 

Whitefield, George, 99. 

Whitman, Rev. Dr. Marcus, 237. 

Whitney, Eli, 187. 

William and Mary, sovereigns of Eng- 
land, 94. 

Williams, Roger, birth and early life of, 
67 ; comes to New England, 67 ; joins 
Pilgrims at Plymouth, 68 ; pastor at 
Salem, 68, 69 ; exiled, 69 ; secures 
land from Indians, 69 ; founds Provi- 
dence, 70 ; receives charter of Rhode 



Island, 71 ; averts war with Pequots, 
71 ; last years and death of, 71, 72. 

Windsor (Conn.), founding of, 73. 

Wingfield, Edward Maria, 55. 

Winthrop, John, comes to New England, 
63, 64 ; leader of the Massachusetts 
colony, 64 ; death of, 64 ; character 
of, 65. 

Wolfe, James, 112 ; birth and early life of, 
113, 114 ; made brigadier general, 114 ; 
attacks Louisburg, 115 ; returns to Eng- 
land, 115 ; as major general, charged 
with siege of Quebec, 115 ; captures 
Quebec, 11 5-1 19; death of, 119. 

Wright, Silas, 250. 

Wythe, George, 177, 226. 



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